Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found
by Serafin982
Summary: When a young Harry is abandoned in London he is rescued by a mysterious old man with a penchant for books, cigars and the future.
1. A death in the Family

Chapter 1: A death in the family

"What is being wrong, young Master Raven?" Jasper squeaked out in a tone slightly higher than his usual squeaky voice.

"He's dead Jasper, Old Crow is dead." Came the reply from the small black haired boy curled up in an old armchair by the window. He was staring numbly at a letter that had just arrived by the usual method of mail delivery. Well, usual for this child and unusual for most others. The black bird that had brought the letter had just performed the last task its Master would ever ask of it. It was now perched on the back of the armchair as if reading the fate of its late Master over the boy's shoulder.

"I know he never came very often, Jasper, but he did rescue me. He gave me this place to stay in. I'm not sure I'd come out very often either if I had his ability. The letter said he seen his death this morning. He knew he'd be dead by the time Ebony got his letter to me." The boy could remember every time he'd seen Old Crow. He remembered the first time Crow had shown him magic even if it was just a reparo on a broken cup.

"Ma-Master Crow is dead, Master Raven?" Jasper managed to eek out breaking the boy out of his memories for a moment. A determined look came over the house elf. "Jasper be doing Master Crow's orders if Master Crow is really gone. Master Crow tell Jasper what to do when Master Crow die. Master say last order really important. Jasper be doing orders now. Jasper be leaving." With that the house elf disappeared with a crack.

"Have I lost Jasper now too, Ebony?" Raven said while stroking the feathers of the bird perched above his shoulder.

"Crow always said he would know when he would die. I asked him one year if he was feeling ok. He said he would be okay until he wasn't but at least he would know beforehand when he wasn't going to be okay. He used to say it was a curse that ran in the family. I just never thought… I'll never see him on my birthday again. Never hear him ask 'so what have you learned this year my little Raven?' in that gravelly voice he said he got from smoking for too many cigars." The black haired boy's eyes glistened with tears despite his determination to never cry again. He learned long ago that crying never solved his problems. Crying wouldn't being Crow back and crying couldn't make Jasper stay now that his real owner had died. At least crying no longer brought about his Uncle's wrath. Crow had seen to that.

It had been almost 4 years ago; he had just turned six that day. It had started like most days in the Dursley house; indeed it started like all the birthdays he could remember. His aunt woke him up pounding on the door to the cupboard he slept in and he limped out of the cupboard to start his morning chores. The limp was a remainder of a badly healed broken leg. Not that his relatives had tried to help him heal after his Cousin pushed him down the stairs. He had been picked up by the shirt at his neck and tossed in the cupboard under the stairs courtesy of his uncle. He was however yelled at for getting blood on the carpet and later handed a bottle of carpet cleaner with a threat of worse hurts than a broken leg if the stain didn't come out.

The newly turned six-year-old had cracked a few eggs into the frying pan and moved to set the table. He, of course, was not allowed to eat with his relatives. No, if he was lucky he could steal something from the kitchen to hide and eat later when no one was watching. He wished himself a happy birthday as he swiped a half brown banana. The day progressed and he had done his chores while his Cousin watched his favorite shows on the telly. He had cleaned the kitchen and mowed the lawn and was starting on the weeds in the flower beds when his uncle came home. That was when this birthday differed from all the rest. His uncle announced that he had a gift for him but they needed to get in the car so he could get it. He had never gotten a birthday present other than a beating. Hesitant, he climbed into the car behind his Uncle in the driver's seat. They drove for hours that day before they stopped in one of the seedier areas of London. He got out of the car when his Uncle told him and watched with mounting panic as his Uncle sped away. His gift had been a one way trip to London. His family was now rid of the freak, as they called him.

However, not 20 minutes later his uncle's gift turned out to be the best thing he had even gotten. Crow walked up to him. "I saw you here little Raven. Come, I have new home ready for you." And with that the newly-dubbed Raven walked into an old apartment and newly adopted family.

"Happy Birthday, Raven." He was in awe, the small loft held minimal furniture, a little kitchenette, one bedroom and bathroom. The rest of the living space was taken up with books. Bookshelves lined the walls and stood alone creating library like halls all of them nearly groaning under the weight of the tomes that spilled out of them. There were books stacked on the floor, books lining the mantle over the fireplace and books laying haphazardly on the two armchairs and desk in the room. Raven had always loved books. They let him escape from his relatives and once he had read them his Aunt and Uncle could never take that knowledge away from him as they had everything else. Crow left soon after telling him to "learn what you can Raven, and learn it well." He followed Crow's advice and learned about the magical world the books spoke of. A few days later the house elf Jasper popped up saying that his "Master Crow" had asked him to look after Raven on occasion. Raven didn't see Crow very often. He would send Ebony sometimes with short letters or a potion telling him that he had seen Raven have a small accident like when the whole top shelf of books toppled onto his head. But Crow had come back every year on his birthday to ask what he had learned.

"Are you going to leave me now too, Ebony?" The teary-eyed boy stopped his reminiscing and turned to address the bird behind him. As if in answer to his question, the bird let out a caw, spread his wings and flew to the makeshift perch beside the fireplace. He ruffled his feathers and settled down to sleep after his long flight. "Thanks Ebony."


	2. The best laid plans

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: Wasn't mine last time I checked. Maybe next time will be different.

Chapter 2: The Best Laid Plans

Days past for Raven, and still Jasper did not return. The small kitchen was thankfully well stocked and Raven spent his days following the only direction Old Crow had ever given him. He knew though, without his often absent guardian he was in charge of his own life and had to make his own decisions. Perhaps it was a sign of his growing up but he was starting to think he was ready to leave the small apartment for a brief time and venture into the wizarding world that he had only read about. And what an interesting world it seemed, full of enough unusual and exotic creatures to fuel the imagination of youth. Raven wasn't unaware of the darker side of that world though. He had read about the witch burnings (and had promptly looked up the flame freezing charm that the book mentioned). He knew about the World War II and the rise of Grindelwald. He knew about the prejudices of the purebloods and stigma attached to nonhumans. What he didn't know was recent history. He had asked Crow once why there were no books that told of more recent events. Crow had simply answered him that it was a repeat of what came before it and launched into another rant about the inability of wizards to learn from their previous mistakes before making new ones. Raven didn't ask again after that.

Despite the threat of dark wizards Raven was more afraid that the wizards would return him to his uncle. He had been lucky with Crow. Crow left him alone for the most part and his absent but ever watchful guardian was always there to provide help if needed. But without Crow to see it happen and rescue him he had only himself to prevent a return to his previous life or worse: an orphanage. It was easy to get around the muggles. He had done it the few times he had left the apartment. The muggles were always sympathetic to him. He wore a leg brace on his badly healed leg and made sure to carry a muggle book or two. If anyone asked if he was lost or alone he simply told them he was looking for the library and enthusiastically inquire if they had read anything good lately. Somehow he didn't think _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn _would be as good a distraction in the wizarding world but he would think of something.

In a fit of recklessness or, as Raven preferred to think of it, his new found independence, he made plans to visit Diagon Alley. It shouldn't be too hard to find, the directions were mentioned in _A History of Wizarding Britain_. He would go in the morning. It was his birthday tomorrow and the trip would make a great present it would also distract him from Crow's yearly visit. Raven went to sleep that night with dreams of wandering along a street stuffed with wizard books, gadgets and adventures.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, had a problem. He but down his Daily Prophet with a sigh. The front page contained a story he had worked tirelessly to make sure would never be printed.

_Search Ended For Boy-Who-Lived_

_4 years ago the Boy-Who-Lived went missing from the home of his muggle relatives in Surrey. This launched an intensive search for our missing hero. In a statement made yesterday by Minister Cornelius Fudge the public was informed that the ministry has given up on finding our missing hero. "The Aurors have diligently tracked every lead to find Mr. Potter and none have given us any hope that the Boy-Who-Lived will be found alive and unharmed." Minister Fudge further went on to say that "while the public rightly appreciates Mr. Potter's role in the downfall of he-must-not-be-named, it is time to put the unpleasant conflict behind us and move on to ensure the bright future of the wizarding world." _

_While the Ministry has ended its search we at the Daily Prophet still hold out hope that our missing hero will someday be found._

Albus buried his head in his hands in an attempt to massage away the headache he hoped wasn't forming. It was nearly 4 years ago now that he had lost Harry Potter. Albus had big plans for the child that had brought down Voldemort. He had been sure that placing the child with his aunt and uncle would ensure the child's safety until he could be brought to Hogwarts. Unfortunately he hadn't counted on being wrong...

For a year the old squib he had asked to watch over little Harry had been trying to get him to look into the happenings of Number 4 Privet Drive. Arabella now told him that it had been almost a year since she had last seen Harry and before that he always seemed to have a few too many bruises to blame solely on the carelessness of youth. Despite the squib's claims the overly titled Headmaster wasn't worried. Nothing more than the usually family squabbles would go wrong at Number 4. He wasn't worried until the device in his office that he had set to monitor the wards at the Dursley residence started to emit a high pitched whine.

Moving faster than his age would generally allow Albus tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fire he called out "Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical law enforcement".

"Hello professor, what can I do for you?" answered a newly promoted Amelia Bones.

"The wards around Number 4, Privet Drive have fallen." Albus answered in a clipped tone that belied the worry in the usually placid man.

Amelia's eyes widen. "An attack, Albus? I'll send Alastor with a team."

"I'm not sure Amelia. Tell Alastor I'll meet him there." Albus replied as his phoenix landed on his shoulder and whisked them away in a flash of fire.

Albus was a bit confused. Nothing seemed to be amiss on Privet Drive. There were no suspicious characters trying to attack the residences and everything was quiet for a late afternoon muggle neighborhood. A moment later Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody and a team of 4 aurors arrived behind him.

"A little too quiet, don't you think Albus?" Moody said with a grunt and a suspicious 360 degree look curtsey of his roving electric-blue magical eye.

"Check on the muggles" Moody directed towards his team.

The group quickly made their way to Number 4. Albus raised a hand to knock but an overzealous young auror opened the door with a quick "_alohamora". _The house looked as quiet as the street outside. Indeed the only suspicious characters were the ones who had just broken into Number 4. The house was pristine and photographs of the Dursley family hung on the wall. Albus noted that none of the photos contained a likeness of Harry. Moody began giving his team orders to spread out through the house. Before the aurors could get far a blustering Vernon Dursley came pounding into his living room.

"What do you think you're doing barging into my house?" Vernon vitriol was just starting up as he caught sight of the wands the aurors held in front of them at the ready.

"Freaks! Get out! I just got rid of the last Freak in this house and I'll not let more of them in." Purple splotches were beginning to become the dominate color of Vernon face.

Albus thought to intervene with a bit of diplomacy. "Ah, Mr. Dursley perhaps your wife would remember me I'm Albus Dumbledore. I left young Harry in your care…"

"You! You left that freak here to ruin our lives with that unnaturalness of his." Vernon continued to spew his anger and being invaded by freaks and the aurors moved around him to see to the house.

Now Albus was worried. He hadn't missed Vernon's comment about getting rid of the last 'freak'. Where was Harry? and what had this muggle done to him?

Albus returned his attention to the still raging Vernon just in time to see Alastor stun the man and leave him on the floor of his living room. Apparently the noise had been enough to bring out Petunia and her son. Dudley, he believed the child's name was.

"What have you done to my husband?" Petunia shrieked as she tried unsuccessfully to conceal her large son behind her thin legs.

"Hello Petunia, perhaps you remember me. I'm Albus Dumbledore." Albus tried again hoping Petunia would prove less reactive to his presence than her husband had.

"What have you done to my husband?" she repeated. "And what do you want? The boy isn't here he ran away years ago." She stated looking fearfully at her husband.

"He ran away?" Albus thought aloud, a clear sign of his concern. If Harry ran they had not reported the child as missing. Albus had friends in muggle police enforcement that would have told him if a child matching Harry's description had been reported as missing.

"Yes. Lazy boy didn't want to do his chores or share toys with my little Dudders so when Vernon told him he had to the boy just up and ran. Now fix my husband we've done nothing to you or that boy." Petunia said settling into the story she had invented.

With a judicious bit of legimancy Albus realized that Petunia, in fact, did not know where her nephew was. With a flick of his wand he enervated Mr. Dursley hoping that he would know what had become of Harry. "If Harry has run away you must be very worried. You won't mind us looking around to see if we can get an idea of where young Harry may have gone to." Albus replied locking eyes with the Dursley patriarch. What Albus saw disturbed him. There was a flash of a cupboard and a blood stained cot, and scene colored with both Vernon's glee and hatred of a small, battered boy limping after a car speeding away from him.

Albus moved towards the cupboard under the stairs. The same cupboard he had seen flash through Vernon's memories. Albus opened the door, crouched down and moved into the space. The small cot was broken now it was still stained with blood and blood could be seen splattered on the walls. There was a broken toy soldier on a shelf that otherwise held cleaning supplies. And there on the back wall tucked into a corner where most would miss it was a piece of yellowed muggle paper. 'Harry's room' was scribbled on it in crayon. Albus picked up the broken toy, by all appearances the only toy Harry had owned in this place.

"Oh Harry, what did I do?" Albus whispered to the small room that Harry had labeled as his. The twinkle had gone out of the Headmaster's eyes. "I promise you Harry, I will help you as much as you'll me."

Albus left the house, broken toy soldier still clutched in his hand as a reminder of a boy broken by his overconfidence in his plans. Albus had vowed the help the boy but first he had to find him. Moody would deal with the muggles and eventually come to the conclusion that Harry had left a bad situation. The aurors could be counted on to help in the search for the missing boy.

And so the search had begun. Despite the danger from Death eaters that had escaped Azkaban the Ministry notified the Daily Prophet and for weeks the story ran on the front page alongside countless Harry Potter sightings all of which turned out to be false. For three years Albus and the Ministry searched without a sign of the missing hero. The people lost hope and the new Minister was losing the approval of the public. Albus pushed to continue the search but the end result was this morning's paper.

'Where are you Harry?' Albus thought for an uncounted number of times glancing at the toy soldier, still broken and placed on his desk among the whirling silver gismos scattered about the office. How was Harry hiding? Owl post didn't find him and locating spells didn't work. Desperate for some idea of the location his lost child Albus addressed another letter to the boy offering help and pleading to know where he was and if he was all right. He would send it with Fawkes in the morning and hope that this letter, like the all the others addressed to Mr. Potter, did not come back unopened.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Got a comment, suggestion, idea? Let me know.


	3. Birds, Banks and Books

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

A/N: Nah, belongs to that rich women across the pond.

Chapter 3: Birds, Banks and Books

Raven was beginning to think he had made a mistake. There were too many people around and now a single tap on a brick lay between him and Diagon Alley. And the people on the other side of that brick-tap were wizards. Wizards who could do all those charms, hexes and curses; wizards who might not want him back in their world; wizards who might give him back to his Uncle. More than a little scared, he hoped with everything he had that no one would notice him in the Alley. 'Learn, and learn well' Crow had told him. Raven decided that learning like this was much harder than learning from his books.

Gathering his frayed courage Raven made his last tap and gasped. There was so much to take in. Cauldrons stacked 10 high, beetle eyes and dragon livers, a store advertising dragon hide boots and a sale on odd little spinning tops. Then there were the wizards all dressed in cloaks like the books said they wore. For now, they weren't paying him any attention. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

First Raven knew he had to find a way to blend in better than his muggle clothing was currently allowing him to do. Crow or perhaps it was Jasper, had left a few galleons and sickels on a table in the apartment years ago and Raven planned to spend them at the first shop that looked like it would sell him a robe. A store with a sign identifying it as Madam Malkins looked a likely choice. Better yet it was busy and one small 10-year old boy would probably go unnoticed. Despite Raven aversion to being around all these wizards he knew it was easier to blend into a crowd than be alone in a store. Raven ducked his head and made for the shop.

Once inside he quickly looked around for premade or second hand robes. He wasn't sure how much the money he had would buy him. Finding a few casual black robes he grabbed one that looked as if it would fit him and checked for a price tag. Unfortunate there wasn't one. Hoping he had enough he approached the cash register at the back of the shop.

"Can I help you? Hogwarts robes aren't in yet." The young clerk said.

A bit anxious now Raven replied shakily "How much for the robe?" He wished he sounded more self-assured. He didn't want to keep her attention on him but he was anxious to fit in to his new surroundings.

"A galleon and 3 sickels" the clerk replied looking over the kid's head for more profitable sales. "Was that all, kid?"

"Yes, I'll just take this. Thanks." Raven replied a little quicker than he would have liked. The clerk shrugged and rung up the sale. Raven handed over the required amount and hurriedly ducked back out of the store and into his new black robe.

Now that he had a bit more confidence that he would go unnoticed in a sea of wizard robes. Raven made his way to Gringotts. He had books and things to buy and the few coins he had left weren't going to provide much of an update to the library Crow hadn't touched since the 1960's according to the dates on the books Raven had seen.

Gringotts was as easy to find as the book said it was. After all who could miss a tall white building in the middle of the Alley? Harry smiled at the real life warning carved into the doors. He knew it from memory, from memory of a book of course. '_Enter stranger but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed…' _he recited it to himself as he walked into the building. Wow, if goblins were half as good with money as they were marble and stone they could own the world; if they wanted to own such a thing. Raven's eyes and feet followed the intricate mosaic on the floor and led him straight to an open teller as if by magic. The goblin was currently looking over figures in some sort of book that Harry couldn't see. He swallowed his nervousness and waited for the goblin to finish his task.

"Yes, can I help you?" the goblin said in a bored sort of manner rubbing his overly long-fingered hands together.

"Please, I was told I have an account here and I'd like to make a withdrawl." Raven replied quietly.

"Key please." The goblin said in an almost automatic response.

"I was never given the key." Raven replied, a little worried that he wouldn't be able to get to the account Crow had once mentioned.

"Snorak" The Goblin called out behind. Another goblin, Snorak Raven assumed, came up to the counter.

"Snorak, get the wizard a new key to his vault." The first goblin directed and returned to his book of figures.

"Follow me, please." Snorak intoned. Raven followed the short goblin into a corridor off to the side of the tellers. He got a quick glimpse of some carts sitting on a track and endless dark caverns and grinned. Snorak led Raven into a small office with a simple desk, a cabinet and two wooden chairs for furniture. He took a seat and watched as Snorak busied himself getting items out of the cabinet. The goblin laid an odd looking parchment with green embossed swirls in front of him and a small simple knife with a black handle.

"The parchment will show your identity, vaults and the level of access you currently have." Snorak told him looking expectantly at Raven now holding the knife over the parchment. Guessing what the goblin wanted, Raven extended a hand towards the goblin. With a quick slash across Raven finger that surprisingly hurt very little both of them looked down at the paper waiting for results, one anxiously and the other slightly bored.

_Harry James Potter_

_Vault 687 - unlimited access_

_Vault 912 – unlimited access_

_Vault 41 – limited access (majority pending)_

_Vault 3 – access pending_

Whatever the goblin was expecting this certainly wasn't it. Surprised, he looked up at Raven face searching for something. Raven was fairly shocked as well and dismissed the goblins reaction as it mirrored his own. He was also wondering just what _pending_ meant. He started to ask a question but Snorak was already moving back to the cabinet and bring out a shallow stone bowl. The goblin placed two large golden keys and a drop of his own blood in the bowl before doing some sort of magic that Raven didn't catch that somehow transferred the green swirls from the parchment to the bowl. A puff of smoke rose from the bowl and the goblin reached in for the two keys which were now a third of the size they started out as.

"Keys for vaults 687 and 912, Mr. Potter" Snorak said as he placed the keys on the desk in front of Raven.

"What does pending mean for those vaults, Snorak?" Raven asked now that he wasn't so distracted by the unknown goblin magic.

"It means that you will have full access to those vaults when certain qualifications have been met. You will have full access to Vault 41 when you reach Wizarding majority at 17 years of age. You currently have no access to Vault 3. I assume it is pending a will reading or a declaration of Lordship." This last bit was said with hesitation and a touch of confusion on the goblin's face. Snorak couldn't figure out how that vault had come to be listed for this wizard.

Raven followed Snorak back toward the carts and was soon getting into a cart behind the goblin. Raven was still a bit shocked at the number of vaults the parchment had listed. Had his parents been that wealthy? He only knew it was a good thing his Aunt and Uncle had never known about those vaults.

One wild cart ride later and Raven stood outside of vault 687, his Potter trust vault according to Snorak. Raven jaw dropped. The vault was filled with galleons and sickels. There were piles of the coins. Left in the front of the vault was also a small box. Bending down, Raven read the short note attached to the top of the small box. It was from Crow and in typical Crow fashion simply read '_Raven, take the box with you. - Crow.' _A few minutes later Raven emerged from Gringotts with the small box from vault 687 and enough galleons to purchase quite a few books.

"Sorry there sonny" a man said after knocking him to the ground outside of Gringotts. Raven froze.

"You alright?" the concerned wizard asked.

No one had so much had given him a second look so far outside of Snorak and the unusual vaults could easily explain that. Raven mentally ran through his disguise to see if anything had changed. No, still the robe from Madame Malkins and the brace on his leg that was so handy in the muggle world was well concealed under the robe. Still he was starting to panic and backed away at the curious and concerned look of the wizard.

"Where are your parents? Shouldn't be wanderin about on yer own ya know." The wizard continued, worried at Raven lack of a reply.

"I'm meeting up with them soon. I'm fine." Raven said never really making eye contact with the wizard. Raven quickly ducked his head and headed back towards the entrance to the Alley. He needed to get away and he really wanted those books and there had been a bookstore somewhere along the way.

There. _Flourish & Blotts _the sign read. It seemed a good place to find what he wanted, and it wasn't too crowded or empty. Perfect. Raven dashed into the store and set about trying to blend in and calm down. He knew he was overreacting a bit.

Raven spent a few hours happily absorbed in browsing the shelves of the store. He'd picked up several volumes already. There was a Self-updating listing of magical creatures and their properties from around the world that looked like a good buy. A new book on Magical plants of the Amazon, several books on potions, one on myths and legends of the Wizarding world, and one on magical artifacts of Egypt all made their way into his stack of books to buy along with new books of any other subject he thought could have change substantially in the last 30 years or so.

"Did you need help? Hogwarts books are by year along the other wall." A grey-haired employee asked approaching him from behind.

Raven jumped. He'd gotten so absorbed in the books he wasn't watching for people approaching him. "No, no thanks" Raven replied glancing up at the man.

A surprised look took over the clerk's face. "Wait, you can't be -" he exclaimed.

"My parent asked me to look for some new additions for the library" Raven interrupted before the man could get too interested in him or the stack of books he was accumulating.

"Oh, guess not then." The clerk said looking a bit disappointed. "Let me know if you need help." Raven couldn't figure out what the man was talking about but was glad he'd left him alone for now.

Raven continued looking among the selves now a little more careful to keep his head down and focused on the books. Raven approached the real object of his current curiosity.

The history section seemed overly populated by books on recent dark arts. Following the trend he picked up a few. _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ seemed a good bet. _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century _also seemed appropriate. A few other choices made it into his stack _A Wizarding Education in Europe _as well as _Hogwart: A History_ seemed timely as he knew school would be an option for him soon and he had heard Hogwarts mentioned twice in the Alley now.

Gathering up the stacks of books he had selected he took a few trips to get most of them up to the counter in the store. Seeing his immediate problem his eyes landed on a small rack of magical bags. Convenient, he thought as he picked one up that claimed to be feather light and able to hold up to 50 books. Raven went back for the last few books that he hadn't gotten to the counter yet and paused. There was a commotion in the Alley outside the store. Curious, he moved toward the door only to be passed by the employee who had tried to help him earlier.

"What is going on out here?" the older man said to himself.

"Oh, it's a phoenix! Hey, Sam you ever see one of these?" The grey-haired man addressed his younger counterpart behind the counter.

Indeed a large red and gold bird was flying low over the crowd in the Alley.

Raven got the last of books to the counter and the distracted employee, Sam, was totaling his books.

"What's it doing in the Alley?" the counter clerk asked.

"Don't know. Maybe he's looking for someone." Came the reply.

"Yeah maybe he's found the Potter boy. It would happen right after the Ministry called off the search." Sam laughed out.

Now Raven was rightly panicked. The Potter boy? How many Potters were there? Oh, he just wanted to get back home. Finally Sam was done if still a bit distracted.

"Sorry, that's 83 galleons and 3 sickels." said the clerk.

Ravens handed over the money and put his books into his new bag, hoping it really would be featherlight and not slow him down in getting out of there. Unfortunately most of the store's patrons had turned toward the door by now to see the colorful bird and Raven needed to slip past them.

Once outside didn't get a chance to take more than a few steps before the phoenix trilled a song and flew straight for him. The crowd was surrounding him now, their interest taken by the unusual bird and the boy he was moving toward.

"Hey! It's Harry Potter!" came a shout of one of the women closest to Raven. The consequences of that announcement caused an even larger crowd to gather and push their way towards Raven. Raven was a bit panicked now.

Raven just wanted to get out of there hopefully before someone grabbed him. Why had everyone gone so crazy when the women had called out him name. And how did she know in the first place? The brightly colored bird seemed a bit ruffled at the commotion as well. The mob that the Ally's patrons had become was only growing. Raven tried to run but between the crush of people and his limp he wasn't able to get anywhere. People where trying to introduce themselves and having to talk louder and louder to heard. Others wanted to touch him and hands reached out from every direction. Raven could only imagine the hands of his uncle and what usually occurred when they were able to reach him. Raven was terrified. Why couldn't he just be left alone?

The phoenix finally succeeded in getting to Raven. It landed on his shoulder and with a flash of fire rescued the panicked boy from the mob.

The boy and the bird appeared in a small alley way between a second hand robe store and _Lancil and Slugg_ apothecary. Raven collapsed against the brick side of the shop. Had everyone in the Wizarding world gone mad? A trill from the phoenix finally calmed him enough to remember his rather unique rescuer.

"I don't know who you are but thanks." He told the phoenix perched on wooden crate beside him. He had read about phoenixes. If it hadn't been for the crowd he would have been as interested in seeing a real one as everyone else seemed to be. He wondered just why this one was in the Alley to begin with. The phoenix glided down from his perch to land on Raven's knee and lifted a talon. There was letter attached. Raven took the letter from the phoenix. That letter had his name on it. Who would send him a letter with a phoenix? He didn't know anyone in the Wizarding world anymore. Deciding that he ought to be getting home soon he tucked the letter in his bag with his books and box. The phoenix gave him a look saying quite clearly that 'letters are meant to be opened and that letter was meant to be opened now'.

"I'll read it when I get home, I promise. I just want to get out of the Alley and get home." Raven replied to the bird. The phoenix gave a soft trill and left the Alley flash of fire.

Raven had what he came for and now he needed to get home preferably without finding himself in another mob. Peeking out back into the Alley he noticed that the phoenix had thankfully found this out of the way spot close to the Alley's entrance. He slipped out of the robe, hoping those crazy people would still be looking for a kid in a robe. He made his way as quickly as he could back to the Leaky Cauldron avoiding the denizens of the dark pub who were all milling about discussing some Boy-Who-Lived. With a sigh of relief Raven made it out of the pub and was back in muggle London.

He started his walk looking for a taxi to hail. Now that he was relatively safe, he really wanted to figure out just why everyone in Diagon Alley had lost their minds.

A/N: Comments, Questions, Suggestions, Ideas? or maybe just to tell me i'm just nuts. Send a review


	4. Swapping Heads and Lost Minds

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

A/N: Previous disclaimer still applies.

Chapter 4: Swapping Heads and Lost Minds

Albus Dumbledore was both relieved and worried. Fawkes had come back without his letter to Harry but also without a reply. The boy was out there somewhere but he still didn't know where or what state he was in. A chime sounded in his office and Dedalus Diggle's head popped up in his fireplace.

"Hello Dedalus. What can I do for you?" Albus asked, distracted with his own worries.

"Albus, you'll never guess who I met today in the Alley. A great day it was today." He exclaimed. "Harry Potter! Right there in the Alley just as we was losing hope of ever finding the boy he makes an appearance and was right there in front of me."

Now Albus was attentive. "You say you saw the boy in the Alley today? How was he?" Albus asked with all the appearance of calm. Inwardly he was frantic. Who knows who the boy was in contact with that had told him how to get to Diagon Alley.

"He looked right as rain, Albus. Well, I guess we all got a little over-excited. He was a bit overwhelmed but you understand Albus we've been waitin for news of the Boy-Who-Lived for years." Dedalus replied apparently still excited. "Fawkes got him out of the crowd. Don't know where that bird of yours took him though. I'd've liked to have shook his hand and talked to him a bit more."

That was interesting news Albus thought. 'Fawkes helped him? The boy had been alone then.' Fawkes would not have taken just Harry if he was there with a guardian. Albus was doubly worried now, 'where was the boy living and more importantly, with whom?'

"I expect it'll be in the next Prophet. Even gave old Alfred Emit an interview bout what I saw" Dedalus continued.

A knock on the Headmaster's door interrupted Albus's reply to Diggle.

"Come in, Minerva." Albus called.

Minerva McGonagall, the deputy Headmistress and transfiguration teacher entered the office muttering under her breath "I'll figure out how he does that one day."

Albus's eyes twinkled a little more at overhearing that comment. He would never tell them how he knew who was entering his office before they even opened the door. It was too entertaining to watch the professors guess and it kept the students convinced that he knew everything that happened in the castle.

"Well, Albus, I'll let you know if I see Mr. Potter again. I got someone trying to get me through the floo." Dedulus said and removed his head from the fireplace causing it to go back to its previous empty-headed state.

"Did Mr. Diggle really see young Mr. Potter, Albus?" Minerva asked. She had been as worried as Albus at Harry's disappearance and asked religiously if Albus had heard any news though her inquiries had never gotten her a positive answer.

"Indeed he did." Albus answered. "Lemon drop, Minerva?" Albus offered gesturing to a his never-ending supply.

Minerva pointed ignored the offer of the sweet. "How is the boy? Where is he? Is he all right?" She asked.

"Dedalus claims he was fine. However, I really don't know. Fawkes was able to get a letter to him but I have not gotten a reply. Hopefully Harry will write back." Albus said stroking the phoenix's plumage as if to thank him for finding and helping the child.

"Surely if Fawkes found him once he can do so again. Can't he take us to Harry?" Minerva asked somewhat anxious that Albus wasn't able to assure her that Harry was safe and well, even though he had been seen.

"Fawkes found Harry in Diagon Alley. I expect the only reason he was able to find him was Harry presence outside of whatever wards he is living under. I do find it odd that we've never been able to get a letter to him before. It would mean we haven't tried when he was outside of those wards." Albus replied.

"You think someone is making him stay within the wards? Someone has him locked up in a house somewhere so no one can find him?" Minerva asked.

"I don't know, Minerva" Albus was stumped. 'Who would go so far as to block even a phoenix, a creature aligned with the light, from entering a house?' Albus could come up with only a few possible answers to his mental question. The only people who would ward against phoenix travel was someone as paranoid as Alastor Moody or someone who had no desire to be found by light wizards. While he wouldn't wish someone of Alastor's ilk on a child but it would be better than the alternative.

Again a chime sounded in Headmaster's office.

"Where is he, Albus? Half the Alley saw your phoenix disappear with the boy." Demanded Minister Fudge whose head had replaced Diggle's in the Headmaster's fireplace. "I demand to see the boy. We have to know where he is. Several families have offered a home to the Boy-Who-Lived. Mr. Malfoy has offered to finance a new wing of St. Mongo's to get custody of the boy."

"Hello Cornelius" Albus calmly greeted his somewhat rude caller.

"Where is he, Albus? As Minister, I have a right to know where that boy is." Fudge blustered.

"I don't know where Harry is Cornelius" Albus replied.

"But that phoenix of yours took him out of the Alley. Of course you know where he is."

"Fawkes may have taken Harry out of the Alley but he did not bring him here. I don't know where he is." Answered Albus, inwardly seething that Fudge would hand Harry over to the highest bidder.

"For you sake I hope you don't know where he is." Cornelius retorted as he pulled his head out of the fireplace with a pop.

"He would give Harry to Malfoy? To a suspected Death Eater?" Minerva asked, nearly as angry with the Minister as Albus was.

"I do not doubt that Cornelius would give Harry to Malfoy." Albus replied. "Let us hope that we find Harry first. Perhaps he will send a reply to the letter Fawkes delivered."

* * *

All the books from _Flourish and Blotts_ had found temporary homes in stacks on the floor in front of the sections of the apartment library they belonged to; the letter from the phoenix was tucked inside one of them where it had fallen. The small box from Crow lay under the desk for the moment unopened. 

'What had caused the people of Diagon Alley to lose their collective minds?' Raven wondered. The behavior of the people in the Alley was akin to a mob trying to get close to royalty though he doubted that even the Queen could have caused that much of a stir. He felt a sudden flash of pity for the celebrities and public figures that had to endure things like that on a regular basis. At least they were prepared for it and were adults who could more easily get through a crowd.

Raven wandered over to a row of books that might be helpful to solve his new mystery. He really wasn't sure where to look. 'Had it been some odd prank or accident caused by a potion? Did he look like some Wizarding celebrity?' he wondered. He wasn't sure how the later could be possible after all he was only 10. How many 10-year old celebrities could there be in the Wizarding world?

It was still the easier option to check. He carried his first choice _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century _over to his desk and sat down. As he did his foot hit the box he had taken out of the vault in Gringotts. 'Hmm… Crow must have known I'd go to the Alley. Maybe he knew what would happen there too. Maybe he left an explanation or maybe he even saw it. It would be like Crow to do such a thing' Raven thought and bent to retrieve the box.

Raven lifted the lid off the box. 'What a mess. Crow was never much for neatness' He thought. Thrown haphazardly into the box were leather bound books, gobs of loose papers, a few pieces of candy, a broken pair of reading glasses, a couple of small containers and on top of it all a letter addressed to him. He plucked out the letter and unfolded it.

_Dear Raven,_

_Happy Birthday. I hope you have learned well this last year. _

_I thank you Raven for bringing some hope to an old man's otherwise hopeless existence. I know I wasn't what you might have wanted in a friend or savior. I cannot change what I was but I can offer you an explanation; whether it is a good explanation is perhaps for you to judge or to dismiss if you have gained any wisdom in your short life._

_I have been such a coward in my life. I tried when I was young. I saw the wars and the rise of evil men and I tried. I tried to prevent the hate and the genocide but it seemed whatever I did only made the future more bleak. Fate, destiny, whatever you call it is crap. And I stopped trying. I hid in an old family house and watched. Ironic really, to hide in a house of a family praised for having the very gift I hid from. The watching wore on me, I felt worse than helpless I was worthless. But still I watched until one day I saw you. I saw a child free of my curse but brave enough to not just watch. So I tried one last time and brought you to a home. I couldn't bring you to my home to grow up with a careless old man more bitter at himself than the world. You are my last try and I swore I would help you._

_My last instructions to Jasper were to assemble the box you have before you and in it you will find the last of the help I can give. In the box are my journals. These are journals not of my life but of yours. This is what I have seen for you. You are a child of fate and events and people of the world will change by what you do. Use the knowledge. I wasn't brave enough to change what I saw but you are. _

_I had Jasper sell off most of the properties of my estate. The proceeds are in a vault at Gringotts that you may access at any time as I'm sure the goblins told you. Use the money to do what I could not. See the world as it is now and help it as you can. There is the ancestral manor left and you should find a portkey to its location in the box. The family library is in that home. That collection is the true gift of my family. So learn Raven, and learn well._

_This curse of my family was once thought to be a gift as well. They didn't know that their so called gift got stronger. And gifts that get too powerful often turn to curses. With every generation it got stronger until a gift became a curse and the curse a torment. That curse will end with me but my family need not. Inside the box you'll find a ring. I did not dare bring you into my family through my blood but the ring will grant you the protection of the family. We are a powerful and respected family wear our ring with pride my little Raven. _

_Tiresias 'Old Crow' Ravenclaw_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Ok, who saw that coming? Send a review even if ya didn't... you'd be my first review! Comments, suggestions and opinions always welcome.


	5. 1980 to 1986

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I own my laptop, my car and the copies of Harry Potter on the bookshelf in the corner. Unfortunately all I own of Harry Potter are the copies in the corner.

Chapter 5: 1980 - 1986

Raven wasn't so sure he wanted to read what Crow had written in those journals. Yes, it might solve the Diagon Alley mystery but he might not like the answer to that mystery. Wanting to delay reading about himself, Raven decided he would find the Ravenclaw ring. Digging through the box, his hand met something other than papers and leather-bound books and he grasped a small container the right size for a ring.

The head of the ring was oval shaped surrounded by tiny glittering diamonds and in the center was a bird. An eagle, he thought. He slipped the ring on and felt the magic in the old ring tingle across his hand and spread up his arm, through his body and back to the ring. Crow hadn't mentioned anything like this. The tingling was starting to hurt but a tug on the ring proved it wasn't coming off. Suddenly the tingling stopped and ring glowed. The eagle seemed to have gained green eyes and was now poised to take off in flight.

'How odd' Raven thought. The ring's magic had interacted with his own. He could feel a difference in his magic. It was more focused, less chaotic than before. He wasn't entirely sure what that would mean for him but it couldn't be bad. Could it?

'Pop' the sudden noise startled Raven from across the room.

"Hello Jasper. I'm glad to see you again." Raven said more happy then he could say at the reappearance of the little elf. Ebony wasn't much for conversation.

"Master Ravenclaw" the house elf intoned solemnly with a bow "How can Jasper be helping Master?"

Now Raven understood. Jasper was bound to serve the Ravenclaw family which now consisted of him. The ring had called Jasper to him.

"What happened to just Raven, Jasper?" He asked the house elf. He had never gotten the elf to stop addressing him as Master but despite the ring it didn't feel right to assume the name Ravenclaw.

"Master Raven is now Ravenclaw Head, sir. Master Raven is Jasper's Master now." Jasper replied.

"Jasper, did you put the things in this box?" He asked, hoping to find out why it contained such odd things.

"Jasper put the stuffs in Master Crow's box. Master Crow tell Jasper to put everything from desk in Master Crow's box." Jasper replied obviously proud of a task well done. "Jasper be finding place for Master's new books. Books no belong on floor." Jasper said eyeing Raven's recent purchases and moved to start cleaning the nonexistent mess that had built up in the elf's absence.

"Thank you, Jasper." He wasn't sure where the elf would find to put the books but Jasper would no doubt find a place.

Returning to the box and still delaying the inevitable, Raven starting to sort through the miscellaneous papers and items in the box. The journals he was so assiduously avoiding got placed in pile on the floor next to the desk earning him a disapproving look from Jasper. The loose papers seemed to be about every conceivable thing. A paper noting the price of firewhiskey at various shops quickly went into the trash. Of more interest were papers about the status of the mysterious Vault 3 which he now understood to be the Ravenclaw family vault. Apparently there wasn't much gold in it but there was jewelry, furniture, portraits and books. Another paper outlined the wards on the apartment he had been living in and the dates they were set. He was a bit astonished at the list. Apparently Crow or his family before him had had the apartment warded to keep out just about everything.

Various sweets made a separate pile of their own, minus the cockroach clusters which joined the prices of firewhiskey in the trash. Raven wasn't sure what to do with the items he hesitantly labeled as junk. There were the broken reading glasses, a very used quill, an empty cigar box, a few candle stubs, and half a pad of muggle post-it notes. For now they all went into the cigar box. The other containers were next. One contained Wizarding photos though Raven had no idea who the people in them were but judging by the clothing and outdated objects in them, they weren't taken recently. The small bronze figurine of an eagle in flight that he found in a second container was more interesting. It was tingling with magic though Raven didn't know what that magic was. The base of the figure had an engraving that read: _Remeo domus. _Raven knew this was Latin meaning "to return home". This must be the portkey the letter mentioned.

With little left in the box Raven turned to the journals. There were dates stamped onto the spines of them. 'Odd to see 1999-2000 on a book when it's currently 1990' he thought to himself. Using the dates Raven stacked them in order. One journal seemed to cover a lot more time than the rest. It also covered the past.

"While I suppose knowing my past can't hurt anything. I can't change it after all." He said to no one in particular. Raven was also interested in knowing anything he could about his parents. Had they cared about him like Crow did? Maybe they would have even comforted him when he got hurt. Crow helped on occasion but his help was limited to what he could send with Ebony namely potions or short warnings.

Raven open a journal dated 1980 – 1990 to the first entry.

_Date Seen: June 6, 1984_

_Date observed: Past: sometime before late summer of 1980_

_I saw a man with a long white hair and beard walk into a shabby pub. He has a conversation with a bartender that I don't hear and heads upstairs to a small room. There's a women waiting for him who introduces herself as Sybil Trelawney. The man with the beard introduces himself as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. The meeting is an interview; Trelawney is applying for the divination job. _

_Interview is ending and D. doesn't seem impressed. Trelawney's eyes roll back. She makes a prophecy: "__The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."_

_Dumbledore offers Trelawney the job and moves to leave. Bartender has a man detained. Man dressed in black robes with hood up. I can't see his face. Man overheard first part of the prophecy. _

_End vision_

"Huh, well that wasn't entirely helpful. How did Crow know when to date this or that it was in the past to begin with? I didn't even know he ever saw the past." Raven thought aloud. It was a habit he picked up years ago from living alone.

"Oh no, Master Raven, Master Crow sees all different times. Master Crow tell Jasper he once sees Salazar Slytherin building part of Hogwarts all bys himself." Jasper added to Raven's musings. "Jasper think old-time wizard make good house elf, doing lots of work so others don't have to."

Raven didn't comment. He was wondering why Crow included an interview and a prophecy in the journals he gave to him. He was also surprised that the journal wasn't full of Crow's oft times sarcastic comments. He only wrote what he saw without bias or interpretation. Raven also wondered how much of these journals Crow had written before they had met.

He quickly checked the _Date seen _on the last entry of the last journal. He read _July 21, 1986 _and closed the journalThat would have been 10 days before Crow rescued him in London. He wasn't sure what to think. He had thought that Crow had rescued him because he saw him being abandoned. Apparently that wasn't entirely the case. Crow had seen several journals worth of his life before then.

Deciding he would think about it later he turned back to the journal of the past. The next entry was a little closer to what he's wanted to read. It described his birth. It was odd to read about it from an outsider's perspective knowing that he had been there even if he couldn't remember. Apparently he'd been born with the same messy hair he still had. His mother had been angry with the black-haired man beside her who had green polka dots on his skin, his father judging by Crow's description of his hair, face and glasses. They argued about someone the green polka-dot man called the next-generation marauder. Raven wondered about both that and the green polka-dots. 'Why would anyone want to cause green polka-dots?' He wondered.

The next scene apparently took place not long after his birth. He was in a room surrounded by lots of people, only some of whom Crow gave descriptions for. There was some sort of ceremony involving him and a different black-haired man with grey eyes. Crow later named the man as Sirius Black. It was a ceremony declaring Sirius as his godfather. Apparently he had been rather fussy that day. Sirius and his dad had tossed him around catching him in the air only to have his mother steal him back. He had been loved.

The next entries went quickly as Raven was too stunned to do anything but read. His parents cast some spell and a small watery-eyed man promised he would keep them safe from you-know-who. No, didn't know who but the next entry solved that problem.

It was the first entry that he had some memory of having been at. There was a man with red eyes who killed his father, his mother and tired to kill him with that green curse he sometimes had nightmares about. The red-eyed man had been destroyed then the house shook from an explosion. The man's body crumpled to the ground beside his mother but a black shadow fled from him.

Raven had known they were dead. He hadn't known that his parents had been murdered. Stunned and unable to think Raven, turned to the next entry. It was confusing Crow made mention of fireworks, newspaper headlines and parties. Somewhere through the confusing entry Raven figured out that he had been named the Boy-Who-Lived and wizards were celebrating the demise of you-know-who, or Voldemort as the brave and drunk called him that night.

'He was the Boy-Who-Lived, the supposed downfall of Lord Voldemort?' Raven had no idea what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. Of course the people of Diagon Alley knew his name. But how had he ended up with his magic hating Aunt and Uncle if there was a world that seemed to revere him?

Thinking that Crow had probably supplied that answer Raven turned back to the journal. Perhaps knowing the past wasn't as innocent as he had first thought it would be. The next entry took him back to a ruined Godric's Hallow, his parent's home; sometime after whatever was left of Voldemort had fled. A very large man with small black eyes and a thick black beard picked him up and took to a street where he met with Albus Dumbledore, the long haired man from the first entry. They left him wrapped in a blanket in front of a door with a note for his relatives.

'So that was how he came to be at Privet Drive. This Albus Dumbledore had left him there.' Raven had to wonder if that was what his parents wanted. Somehow he didn't think so. Could his mum really not know what her sister would do? Wouldn't his dad want him with Sirius, who he had named his godfather? What had happened to Sirius anyway?

Raven set about reading the rest of the journal about his past. He skipped over entries of the Dursleys, he knew what happened there. He read about Dumbledore disbanding something called the Order after telling them what occurred at his parent's house and that he, Harry was safe in the muggle world. Lastly he read about his sixth birthday except when Uncle Vernon left him in London, Crow didn't come. He had wandered the streets for a few days before being taken by a wizard who brought him to a home, healed him, and gave him new cloths and food. The man had called Dumbledore afterwards. The Headmaster told him not to run away again but that he should be able to forget what he had seen on the streets away from his family. Dumbledore brought out his wand and cast a memory charm on him. Dumbledore left him with his family again.

So that was what would have happened without Crow. Dumbledore would have made him forget being abandoned and sent him back to the slightly modified Dursleys. Granted, Dumbledore didn't seem to know that he had been abandoned and the Dursleys weren't likely to admit it.

Raven wasn't sure what to do with the future knowledge that Crow had left for him. Obviously things had changed from how Crow had seen them play out. Could he count on the events Crow saw still taking place even after Crow's intervention? Would people still act the same? He wondered. Crow had called him a 'child of fate' but Raven only saw himself as one small child trying not to get run over by a very large world. How much could his absence from the Dursley house really change? Sure he had a famous name but it was for something that happened years ago. The incident in Diagon Alley couldn't be normal; he couldn't still be famous for that, could he?

Better yet, how had he brought about the disappearance of Voldemort in the first place? Sure, he had experienced bits of accidental magic and with study had brought some of it under his control. He could feel his magic as clearly as he could the rest of his body. He knew very well what it was currently capable of. He might be able to change the chair from red to orange or get the salt shaker to come to him from across the table but he wasn't capable of truly injuring a Dark Lord.

Ebony ruffled his feathers from his perch by the fireplace bringing Raven out of his thoughts.

"Well Ebony, either someone else was the reason Voldemort disappeared or my magic was different at that time." Raven reasoned. He was already wondering which books might have information to solve that particular mystery.

Raven got up and moved to the stack of history books that still sat on the floor. Apparently Jasper hadn't found a space for these yet. Unsure where to start he pulled down _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_.

_Harry James Potter, also known as the Boy-Who-Lived was on born July 31__st__ 1980. At 15 months of age this remarkable child came to the world's attention during an attack on his home in Godric's Hollow on Halloween in 1981… _

Wow. Apparently time hadn't lessened his fame at all. He turned a few pages ahead hoping to find out how he had "killed" you-know-who, as the author claimed he had. As the pages turned a letter fell out that had forgotten had gotten mixed in with his books.

"Oops. I did promise to read that." He said aloud and reached for the letter. He opened the seal of the letter curious once again just who had written to him and sent the letter with a phoenix. Obviously plenty of people knew his name. For better or worse they had attributed a minor miracle to him it seemed. But none of them knew him personally did they? Why would they write otherwise?

_Harry Potter,_

_My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Three years ago I was made aware that you were no longer living with your Aunt and Uncle. I have been searching for you ever since._

_Please reply to this letter as soon as possible and let us know if you are well and where you are living. I only wish to ensure your happiness and safety. If there is anything I can do to help you, you need only ask. _

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

'Why was the Headmaster of a school searching for him in the first place?' He wondered. Sure the man had left him with his relatives in the first place but Raven assumed he had done so at the request of either his parents or the Wizarding government. He could understand if it was government official looking for a missing child (not that he would respond if it was). He had no desire to be placed back into whatever system had left him with his relatives. 'What harm can there be to let the man know that I'm alright and perfectly safe where I am? Maybe it will even get them to stop looking and leave me alone.' He thought. Grabbing a quill and parchment on the desk he penned a reply telling the man everything he had asked for except his current address.

"Will you take this Ebony?" He asked as he sealed the note with a bit of wax. Ebony lifted off his perch and settled on Raven arm. He attached the missive to the bird's leg and carried him to the window.

Raven watched Ebony until the black bird was out of sight and headed back to solve his mystery.

Then he remembered it, the prophecy from Crow's first entry, was it about him? Raven flipped the pages back to the first page and reread the prophecy.

"The Dark Lord, ok that could apply to the evil man with the red eyes. But 'Marked as an equal'? Maybe the scar?" he thought aloud. The prophecy would explain Dumbledore's presence in his life. The Headmaster was the only one to hear the full prophecy but why would the man who expected him to eventually kill a Dark Lord leave him with the Dursleys?

Raven hadn't missed the part of Crow's vision where Voldemort, in some form, escaped that night. His parents' murderer might not be capable of much after that night but he wasn't dead. This bothered him a bit. 'What had been done since then to prevent him from coming back?' He wondered. Whatever it was, it was obviously being orchestrated in some part by this Albus Dumbledore and involved him staying with his relatives.

"Maybe sending that letter wasn't the best idea." He said aloud, earning a worried look from Jasper.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Its nice to know someone else likes this story. My trip to NYC is over so i'm back to writting again. The city was fun and I have a new magnet on my fridge.

Should Sirius escape? Should Harry end up with Lucius Malfoy? Should he hate Dumbledore? ... Leave a review. I don't have the whole story planned out, though I have a general outline so if you'd like to see something happen let me know and I might work it in. I'll be sure to give you credit for it if I do!


	6. Found!

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I own nuffink. I do own a hamster though. Maybe Harry should get one too.

Chapter 6: Found!

_Boy-Who-Lived Found!_

By: Alfred Emit

_Yesterday afternoon Harry Potter was seen coming out of Flourish & Blotts. Mr. Potter appeared to have spent his day shopping in the Alley. Mr. Dedalus Diggle had this to say about meeting Mr. Potter: "I got to speak to him there in the alley. Told him what an honour it was to meet the Boy-who-lived. Even tried to shake his hand before he left." _

_The appearance of the Boy-Who-Lived comes just days after the Ministry ended the search for our previously missing hero. However, it was not with a Ministry official that Mr. Potter came to the Alley. If fact, witnesses claim they did not see him with any guardian. However, all agree that he left the Alley with the help of a phoenix that some claim belongs to none other than Albus Dumbledore, who was unavailable for comment. We at the Daily Prophet hope that Albus Dumbledore will be able keep our hero safe and that an appropriate guardian will be found to escort our boy-who-lived through the Wizarding world._

Albus Dumbledore put the promised Daily Prophet article down with a sigh. While the assumption that Harry was with him would keep the boy safe for now, he was concerned about where Harry truly was. 'How much damage had the Dursley's treatment inflicted and who was he living with?' he wondered again. Albus still held out some hope that the letter Fawkes had delivered would be answered. He knew Fawkes wouldn't have let anyone else take the letter, but was concerned that the phoenix hadn't waited for a response as Albus would have expected him to do.

"Where did you take him Fawkes? And why couldn't you wait with him?" he asked the phoenix stroking the bird's feathers.

Looking at the time Albus stood and left his office heading for the Great Hall to breakfast with the professors who were currently in the castle.

Upon entering Albus realized he wasn't the only one who had seen a copy of the prophet this morning. Predictably, Minerva's brow was creased in worry, Pomona had set the article aside and was talking animatedly with Filius, both of whom glanced at the photo of Harry on the cover every few minutes. And of course Severus had turned his copy to the second page and scowled at everyone else.

Dumbledore took a seat between Minerva and Filius and served himself some eggs and waffles. Blueberry syrup immediately started pouring itself over his waffle. Minerva turned to him.

"Any word from Fudge about the paper?" she asked.

"No, not yet. I expect I'll hear from him a little later with additional demands to see Harry." Albus replied

"Harry? You mean the boy-who-lived. Fudge has never seen that boy as anything but a means to support his own career." Minerva replied crisply.

"I don't suppose you've gotten a reply to the letter Fawkes was carrying?" Minerva inquired hopefully.

"No, I wish I had Minerva. I wish I had." Albus replied turning back to his now less appetizing food.

A few bites of blueberry-covered waffle later the doors of the Great Hall opened with a bang. Minister Fudge and his entourage of aurors and aids made their way down the Hall to the staff table.

"I knew it! I knew you were hiding the boy, Dumbledore. Where is he? The Ministry will assign him a proper guardian this time Dumbledore. Yes… yes the people will demand it." Fudge said unaware of how unpopular that choice was with Dumbledore and his staff (excluding Snape).

"As I told you before Cornelius, I do not have the boy here." Albus replied hoping to buy time to find Harry himself by leaving open the idea that he could have Harry somewhere other than Hogwarts. Perhaps that information would spread and keep the boy safe for now.

Fudge shot back. "Search the castle" he ordered the aurors who had accompanied him.

"Now look here you can't just send aurors to scour this castle. The boy is not here Fudge." Minerva said. Pomona and Fillius looked ready to raise wands in the direction of the Minister. The blueberry syrup was beginning to tilt and move toward the Minister's bowler hat as well.

_Caw. _A large black bird came flying into the Great Hall speeding towards the head table. Albus and Minerva exchanged a hopefully look at the presence of the unfamiliar bird. 'If that is Harry's reply this is terrible timing' Minerva thought to herself.

The bird continued its pursuit of the head table flying directly towards the back of the Minister's head. Fudge spun around at the sound of the angry bird and with a look of disgust moved away from the bird just in time to avoid being clawed by the bird's outstretched talons.

"Crows, filthy birds, no one in their right mind would use them for anything." Fudge spat towards the offending avian "You will inform me if you have the boy, Dumbledore. The Ministry will assign him a temporary guardian until a custody hearing can be held. The aurors are searching for him again. We will find him Dumbledore. And this time there will be none of this nonsense of placing him with Muggles." Fudge demanded. "Lucius has offered…he'll insist…" Fudge trailed off muttering to himself and moved to leave the Hall with a last scathing look for the large dark bird.

The bird landed in front of Dumbledore and extended a talon with a letter attached. "Well, at least you succeeded in shortening what would have been an unpleasant conversation. Let's see who sent you." Dumbledore mussed, his eyes twinkling as he removed the letter.

_Headmaster Dumbledore,_

_I thank you for your concern over my disappearance and for your phoenix's help in an unexpected problem. I am both safe and content where I am living. I do not foresee the need for additional help at the moment though I thank you for your offer._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

"Will you please wait and take back a reply?" Albus quickly requested of the bird as he saw it about to take off again. He let a sigh of relief as the bird ruffled its feathers and settled down to wait.He hadn't lost his only contact with Harry yet. Hopefully this bird could pass through whatever wards the boy was living under. He considered putting a tracking charm on the bird but discarded the idea. It most likely would be removed by the wards or worse yet Harry would know of it and it would lessen the boy's unestablished trust in him.

Albus turned back to the letter, something about it bothered him. It was the language used in it. It was unusual for a 10 year old child to be so very formal.

"What do you think of it Minerva?" He handed the letter to Minerva knowing she would be beside herself with worry and curiosity by now. It was no accident that her animagus form was a cat. She had barely restrained herself from reading it over his shoulder.

"I've never known a 10-year old to write something like that. Do you think he was coached in writing it? It doesn't really answer any of our concerns but it does imply that he did not know about his parents and you-know-who before going to Diagon Alley." Minerva replied seeming more confused by the letter than less.

'Indeed, who would have told Harry how to get to the Alley but not informed him of his own status in that world.' Albus thought. "If it wasn't for the wards I would almost imagine he got to Diagon Alley on accident or by chance." Albus replied, coming closer to the truth then he knew. 'Now what to send back with the bird?' Albus wondered. He needed a way to stay in contact with Harry and this was the first chance he had gotten in 4 years. Ideally he'd like to see Harry for himself and find him a suitable guardian before the ministry could place him with the Malfoys. Albus had been trying to think of who such a guardian might be but never came to any conclusions. The decision was never a priority while the boy was still missing and now Albus wished he had given it more thought. In truth Albus didn't trust anyone with the boy. Some would allow him too much leeway others would be too harsh and wouldn't allow the boy the freedom all children need.

Deep in thought Albus pocketed the letter and headed up to his office leaving his half-eaten breakfast behind. Minerva and the raven followed him. He would ask the boy to allow Fawkes to deliver mail past the wards and send a package with the phoenix including a portkey to Hogwarts, and perhaps he had a few things young Harry might like. A few sweets would not go amiss. He would ask Fawkes to follow this bird back to Harry and perhaps Albus could learn where the boy was living. Fudge wouldn't stop until Harry was found and placed in Malfoy manor. Albus needed to warn the boy and see to his safety before that could happen.

"Candy floss" Albus intoned when he reached the statue guarding his office.

* * *

It was dark but quickly approaching sunrise when Raven put down the next journal. Jasper had lit candles and the fire at some point and stood worrying that he wasn't resting by now. Thoughts were racing through Raven's head too quickly to sleep now. After sending Ebony with the letter he had read through the next journal Crow had sent. Crow's journal entries were disjointed. They didn't read like a story or even a timeline. Crow didn't name people but carried an identical description of a person through multiple entries. The sarcasm he had often associated with Crow had finally reappeared when he identified people. There was "the oblivious hot-head" that appeared often with a "bushy-haired buck-toothed bookworm" and "the snarky greasy git" that Crow couldn't prevent showing his dislike for. Most of Crow's scenes didn't include conversation, just action and description. It took some doing but Raven pieced together what he thought Crow had seen for his time at Hogwarts from first year thru fourth that the second journal covered. Raven was aware that his self-constructed timeline was colored by his interpretation of Crow's entries and Crow's perception of events. 

From what Raven could piece together he stayed at Privet Drive until attending Hogwarts next year. He obviously had an interesting time there though he couldn't understand all of Crow's disjointed scenes. In his first year he spurned some "blond-haired snot" on a train. He wore some odd hat in front of the entire school. There was some event with a troll that got knocked out with its own club. Trolls truly were stupid. The year seemed to end with Crow seeing a huge sleeping dog, giant chess pieces, his injured friend and then him alone facing a man in a turban and killing him in front of a mirror. Crow seemed just as confused over that course of events as Raven was.

His second year took up even fewer pages of Crow's journal. After reading it Raven deduced that he had fought a huge snake that was hiding in some passageway he alone could access in a girl's lavatory. He apparently rescued a red-headed girl and killed a monstrous snake and a shadowy figure of a boy by destroying a book the girl had. Perhaps the book was what "blond-snot Sr." had slipped into the girl's books earlier in the year.

Third year was a little confusing. Crow only mentioned a couple scenes with conversation in them. Student and teachers alike were worried about him if their constant attention and following was anything to go by. Crow reported yet another prophecy spoken by the same women who told the first prophecy he had written about. At the end of the year Raven prevented his Godfather, Sirius from killing the "watery-eyed rat-man" Crow had seen swearing to protect his family in the first journal. Raven had repelled a horde of dementors. The rat-man escaped. Crow's last entry for that year was Raven and the bushy-haired girl riding a half-horse half-eagle up to Sirius who flew away on the Hippogriff.

Fourth year seemed to be consumed with some competition he was entered into. He flew around a dragon, rescued "the oblivious red-head" and made his way through a maze. The next scene left Raven a little frightened. The red-eyed man, Voldemort, was reborn and ordered the escaped rat-man to kill a student he had traveled to a graveyard with. Crow reported him dueling Voldemort and taking the body of his fellow-student back to Hogwarts.

"Master Ravenclaws must eat." Jasper said, pushing a plate with eggs and fruit in front of him. Jasper looked up at him worriedly. Raven hadn't even noticed the time that had gone by; it was fully light outside now.

"Don't worry Jasper. I'll sleep later." Raven said hoping to allay the house-elf's worries.

"If Master Ravenclaw promise sleep, Jasper go clean manor. Manor need cleaning or doxies and dust mites will come." Jasper intoned seriously

"I promise Jasper." Raven said, not entirely sure he would sleep anytime soon but the promise had the desired effect.

Raven needed a plan. He had information about the future and no idea what to do with it. It was obvious to him now that he had been singled out by that first prophecy. "And either must die at the hand of the other", the prophecy had said. Crow's journals had shown him a few class sessions that he had attended and Raven was a little confused. He seemed to do well performing magic when he had to, but his performance in class wasn't anywhere near the same level. He couldn't perform a summoning charm in class but could summon an out-of-sight broom in the castle down to the grounds nearly a mile. He could perform a charm that repelled more than a dozen dementors but needed to work outside of class to banish anything larger than a teacup. Why was he so inconsistent? He had concentrated a lot of his learning on magical theory. It was a topic that fascinated him. Magic simply didn't work that inconsistently without a reason.

Raven picked at the eggs and blueberries that Jasper had brought him pondering the theories of magic he had read about and wondering what had caused his magic to act that way. Nowhere in Crow's journals did he ever mention him noticing the problem of his magic or putting much effort into learning about other magics. Raven had a hard time believing that he wouldn't notice or persue magical theory as he had done the last few years. Had Crow's rescue of him really changed him that much? The Raven or Harry that Crow described seemed impulsive and anything but studious. He apparently played Quidditch. To be fair he also seemed to spend a lot of time on whatever problem he had to face that year. Perhaps his studies ran more towards practical application of magic to solve whatever the adventure-of-the-year was. The Harry Crow saw seemed to overly reliant on others and possessed what others might call a great deal of luck. Raven didn't really believe in luck. No, something else caused the Harry Crow's Harry to perform magic to such a degree and have such success in fights.

Raven picked up a quill and started outlining the events Crow described and the magic he performed. If he was going to make any use of this knowledge he needed to determine cause and effect and what he could change if the events started to repeat themselves. 'Obviously many things had already changed.' He thought to himself. "Perhaps I should concentrate on the people Crow identified. There wasn't a reason these people would have changed just by his being taken in by Crow. Knowing how people would react could be immensely helpful to know." He said to himself and began making lists.

A few hours later Raven had a few scribbled lists. He had fallen asleep over the parchment. Ebony was now pecking at the window in an attempt to wake him.

"was tha?" Raven said still half asleep.

"Oh, sorry Ebony." He said moving towards the window to let the bird in. He stopped at the closed window. Ebony wasn't alone. Several feet back was the phoenix that had found him in Diagon Alley. He opened the window and Ebony flew in. The phoenix just perched on ledge across from his window unable to get closer.

"the wards" Raven muttered to himself. The phoenix carried a box with him. The note on the wards he had found mentioned being able to invite people or creatures into the apartment to give them access. He wasn't sure how this worked, probably some modified repelling ward for intruders. Raven hesitantly welcomed the phoenix into the apartment.

Raven first untied the letter from Ebony and the bird flew off to his perch scattering his notes in the process. Ebony landed beside the fireplace and took a sip of water. With a worried gulp Raven then approached the phoenix hoping that retrieving the package would get rid of the bird, however benevolent it may be. This was obviously the same phoenix that helped him in both Diagon Alley and in Crow's written version of the future as well. Still the bird belonged to the man who left him at the Dursleys and had the ability to transport him at will.

Untying the package didn't immediately send the bird off. The phoenix cocked his head and trilled a short mournful note as if saddened by Raven's wariness of him.

"I'm sorry. I… I just can't go back there. He always sent me back to them." Raven said tearfully thinking of the time's in Crow's journal that he was sent back to the Dursleys and his placement there by Dumbledore. Raven wanted someone he could trust like he had trusted Crow but Dumbledore wasn't such a person. The phoenix lowered his head and pushed the box he had come with toward Raven.

Still cautious, Raven choose to open the letter Ebony had come with first.

"He still wants me to tell him where I am. Why does he want to know who I'm living with? I told him I was safe here." Harry said as he read through the letter. He had already allowed the phoenix into the room as the letter asked him to do. Perhaps he would meet with this Albus Dumbledore if he was sure he could get back to his apartment when he wanted to.

"I don't think he'd just let me leave again after seeing that I was alright but maybe I could figure something out." Raven thought aloud. The phoenix trilled at this. Raven wasn't sure why he wanted to comply with Dumbledore's desire to meet. "Maybe the fact that someone cared enough to want to check up on me? Maybe because I truly am as rash as my double in Crow's journals." He answered for himself. But whatever faults Dumbledore displayed in Crow's journals the man wasn't actively trying to harm him.

Raven audible thoughts caused another trill from the phoenix and the bird left in a flash of flames.

With the threat of his unwanted departure gone, Raven relaxed and pulled the box the phoenix had been carrying toward him. He opened the box and pulled out a small bag of yellow sweets. He found himself nostalgically hoping not to find a parchment with the prices of firewhiskey next. No, next out of the box was a letter explaining, he hoped, the contents.

_Dear Harry,_

_Thank you for allowing Fawkes entry into your home. I am hoping that you will continue to allow him to come so that we may stay in contact as no owl seems capable of reaching you past the wards you are living under. I offered help in the last letter I sent. Through you didn't ask for my assistance I am offering a few items I believe may be of use. Included in the package is a phoenix pendent. The pendent is a portkey, an object that has been charmed to take you to a preset location. In this case it is my office at Hogwarts. When held, the portkey will activate with the phrase "never too many socks"._

_As you may be aware, you are well known in the Wizarding world. As such, several members of that world will likely take an interest in you without regard to your best interest. If you fall into the hands of such a person and feel unsafe please make use of the portkey. _

_I would like to be sure of your safety from such people and would like to meet to ensure that you truly are both safe and well in your location._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. Inside the box you will find a few other things I thought you might like._

Putting aside the note for the moment, Raven reached back into the box. He pulled out a pair of very bright red socks.

"Apparently the headmaster truly believes in the phrase he had used as portkey trigger." Raven commented to Ebony who was looking on with curiosity. Next Raven pulled out a photograph. The picture showed a man and women proudly displaying pieces of parchment and waving at the photographer. 'His parents' he thought. The man certainly had the messy black hair and glasses. He had never seen a picture of them before. He obviously shared many features with his father. "They look happy. I wonder what they were like." He muttered to himself.

Attached to the back of the picture was a note written in a tidy hand that certainly wasn't the Headmaster loopy scrawl.

_Mr. Potter,_

_This picture was one of several taken of your parents when they graduated from Hogwarts. I got to know them when they attended school here and continued a correspondence with your mother after she left. They were wonderful people and I'm sorry you never had the chance to know them. I don't know if you have any pictures of them but you are welcome to keep this one._

_Prof. Minerva McGonagall_

He wondered why this new person was sending things with the Headmaster's. Apparently Albus Dumbledore wasn't the only one at Hogwarts interested in finding him. Strangely he trusted this new professor more than Dumbledore. She hadn't asked where he was or even to contact her. She just offered a picture that he was grateful to have.

Raven was quickly forming the belief that Dumbledore was more than a little odd. Not only had the man sent sherbet lemons and socks but there were little packages proclaiming to hold chocolate frogs and ice mice. There was also a book titled Modern Magical Marvels and at the bottom yet of the box, yet another pair of socks. These were a lurid green. Raven figured he wasn't likely to forget the trigger for that password any time soon. Perhaps that was the point.

Mussing over the oddities and possible motivations of his would-be protector Raven was startled by what could only be a phoenix trill and a knock on the door to his apartment.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay folks. I was working on another story that took me away from Raven for a short time. I am back with this one though and will work on both in the future. 

As requested we now have a little better idea of what Harry was studying.

Like it? Hate it? Have an opinion on who should be named guardian? Maybe Dumbledore himself? McGonagall? Sirius? Malfoy? Ok, so most don't think it should be Mr. blond-snot Sr. hmmm...It does have potential though. Think of all the other names I could call him.

Coming soon:

Chapter 7: The Schemes of Immortal Avians


	7. Schemes of the Immortal Avian

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I still own the hamster but not this.

Chapter 7: Schemes of the Immortal Avian

A knock on the door and the trill of a phoenix? Raven only knew one phoenix and that phoenix's owner had expressed a strong desire to meet him. Raven heart was pounding somewhere in the vicinity of his throat. 'Why did the phoenix bring him here?' He thought. No one but Crow had ever come to his apartment. He liked it that way. He was unknown and safe.

"Jasper!" he called aloud hoping the little elf would come quickly.

"Master Ravenclaw calls Jasper?" the little elf looked up at him curiously. He had never called for Jasper.

"Whys Master not sleeping? Masters promised to…" Jasper's eyes widened suddenly at another knock on the door.

"It's Dumbledore, Jasper. The man who put me with the Dursleys." Raven said in a bit of a panic. He knew he wouldn't be able to just wait for the man to leave. Who knows, maybe the phoenix would simply bring the man inside or come in and take Raven outside. Trembling, Raven moved toward the door. He stepped on a sheet of parchment Ebony had scattered to the floor in his flight. His notes. Crow's journals! The man couldn't see these.

"Jasper, help me get these hidden somewhere safe." He said quickly to the elf as he picked up the parchment at his feet. It was the first time he hadn't considered the apartment safe.

Shoving the journals and parchment into the elf's hands, Raven moved again towards the door.

"Papers and books be safe in manor, Master." Jasper said. He could see Jasper pop out of existence with the journals and notes and sighed. At least those were safe. Now, if only he could be safe as well.

Raven could only stare with widened eyes at the door a few inches from his hand. The knocking started again.

Reaching out Raven twisted the door knob and opened the door an inch.

"Hello?" Raven whispered into the darkened hallway. He knew he sounded just as frightened as he truly was.

A man in light green robes with golden stars on the hems stepped into the sliver of light coming through the door.

"Ah, you must be Harry Potter. And I believe you've meet Fawkes." Dumbledore said. The phoenix let out a self-satisfied trill at this. "Fawkes seemed to think I needed to come here. Well, he didn't give me much choice in the matter but I'm very glad to meet you, Harry. I'm Albus Dumbledore." Albus introduced himself hoping the boy would invite him in. Albus could feel the wards around the apartment straining at his presence. If Harry didn't invite him in he would not be able to stay. Whoever had placed these wards had been powerful but there was a weakness. A stranger could do anything once they were invited in. And Merlin only knew who the boy's guardian might invite or who might be able to gain the boy's trust only to enter and do him harm.

Albus couldn't see into the apartment yet but the area he was in wasn't very expensive nor was it very safe. It was a very poor London neighborhood prone to crime and shady dealings. Mundungus would be comfortable here. It was hardly a safe place for a boy to wander about in. He was suddenly glad that Harry hadn't seemed to spend much time outside of these wards.

"Yes sir, I am Harry Potter. Umm…" Raven glanced behind him and saw Jasper had returned and was wringing his hands in worry. At least he wouldn't have to deal with his guest alone.

"Would…would you like to come in, sir?" Raven asked quietly, hoping the answer would be no.

"Thank you Harry." The Headmaster said, moving towards the still cracked open door. Harry moved backwards and the door was pushed open enough to allow the older man to enter. Fawkes flew off Dumbledore's shoulder and perched on the back on a wooden kitchen chair.

Dumbledore moved toward one of only two chairs in the room and a grimace quickly passed over his face as Harry limped toward the other.

Before Harry could reply Jasper came tottering out of the kitchen area balancing a tea service above his head.

"Jasper bring tea for Master Ravenclaw and Misters Dumbledore." The little elf announced, setting the tea things on the scratched table positioned between the two chairs.

At the name Ravenclaw, Dumbledore's eyebrows all but disappeared into his snowy hair before quickly regaining his calm appearance.

"Thank you, Jasper" Raven said quietly. His eyes remained focused on every move the headmaster made.

"Ah, I see you found the sherbet lemons. Wonderful things really." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

Raven looked at him a bit confused. "Uh… yes, sir." Raven just wished he wasn't sandwiched between Dumbledore and his scheming bird that brought him here.

"Where is your guardian, Harry?" Albus asked looking around at the one room apartment.

Raven tilted his head a bit. He supposed Crow could be considered a guardian. Raven had complete control over what he did and even where he went. That freedom had allowed Raven to feel safe. Crow wouldn't demand he kneel down to be whipped or call his abuser sir. Crow just supplied some rooms he could use and then stayed out of them except for his once a year birthday visit. How missed Crow right now.

"My guardian died." Harry said stiffly, not touching the tea Jasper had set out. What would this man do to him, or force him to do? Dumbledore seemed a caring old man, a caring old man that would continually return to the Dursley. What would they do to him if he returned? It would probably be worse than before. Raven shuddered at his thoughts.

"I'm sorry to hear that. When did he die, Harry?" Dumbledore asked observing every second of Harry's reaction.

The question pulled Raven out of his predicted nightmare with the Dursleys.

"Not long ago. He left me everything he could." Harry said, spinning the ring Crow had asked him to wear around on his finger. Dumbledore's attention was drawn to the spinning ring. Raven noticed him studying it. He stopped and covered his hand.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Did you like living with him?" Dumbledore asked smiling gently.

"I didn't live with him. He sent Jasper and Ebony." Raven said, looking over to indicate the large bird that had delivered Harry's one and only letter.

Dumbledore frowned.

"He gave me a place to stay and checked up on me every year on my birthday, sir." Raven added quickly. Dumbledore was still frowning. He didn't seem to approve. Raven personally didn't see anything wrong with the relationship he had had with Crow. It kept him safe, he didn't have adults around trying to hurt him or send him back to the Dursleys. He even learned a lot even if he couldn't go to school.

"Harry, the Minister of Magic wants to assign you a new guardian. He has people looking for you. I'd like to help you. To make sure you have someone that you can trust to protect you and rely on." Dumbledore said.

"I don't need a new guardian, sir. I'm safe here and Jasper helps me." Raven answered, his voice shaking. A guardian would have control over his life. A guardian would be able to tell him what he could and could not do. A guardian could be like the Dursleys and force him to do all sorts of tasks or lock him in a cupboard or beat him when they wished. And a magical guardian could use all sorts of potions and spells to force his obedience. That had been the most frightening thing he had ever read and even left him anxious of Crow for a time.

"Yes, the wards here have kept you safe and house-elves are very helpful creatures. But you can't stay isolated here forever, Harry. You need someone who can help you and protect you outside of these rooms." Dumbledore stopped speaking as the boy's trembling increased.

"The Ministry won't allow to be entirely responsible for yourself, you are too young, Harry. The Ministry's search would force you to stay isolated here until you come of age. Your parents would not have wanted that for you." Dumbledore said. He paused. Harry was leaning back in his chair, one leg on the seat and his arm it. He was still trembling.

"What do you want to do, Harry?" Dumbledore finally asked the boy.

What did he want to do? Raven thought about that for a moment. He wanted the freedom to be able to come and go as he pleased and to go to school and learn what he wanted and travel like Crow suggested. But he couldn't do that with the Ministry looking for him. He didn't want to stay in this apartment forever. More than anything he didn't want to be a slave, to be locked up and beaten on some else's whim, to be forced to comply with their orders even when it hurt. If that happened again he was sure he would never be the same.

The phoenix trilled softly from his perch in the kitchen prompting Raven to answer.

"I don't want a new guardian. I don't want to have to leave here or be forced to do whatever someone says. I want to make my own choices and not have to be…" Raven's voice trailed off. He hadn't meant to say all of that. He moved in his chair away from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore gave Raven a sympathetic look and a distracted smile. Dumbledore brought his hand up to stroke his bread appearing deep in thought. He looked back up again at Harry, his twinkling eyes traveled once again to the ring peeking out from between the fingers of Harry's other hand.

"I'll see what I can do Harry." He said, and searched around for another topic that might put Harry more at ease.

"Do you like to read, Harry?" He asked glancing around at the truly remarkable library crammed into the room.

"Yes, sir." Raven replied with a slight smile.

"Your mother liked to read as well. Perhaps you inherited that from her." Dumbledore commented. Raven believed it more likely he inherited it from Crow when he walked into an apartment with nothing but books.

"What do you like to read, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, inspecting the books closest to him. That shelf contained American muggle history books and novels. _Uncle Tom's Cabin _sat sideways on the shelf. Dumbledore ran a finger over the spine "The little lady who started the big war" he commented with knowing smile.

"Abraham Lincoln" Raven answered. Crow liked that game too. He said you never knew a book unless you knew why, when and by whom it was written.

"Very good, Harry." Dumbledore said, looking back over to Harry as if surprised that the boy would know such an obscure quote from American history.

"So which are your favorites?" Dumbledore asked, again gesturing to the myriad of books scattered about.

"I like history, muggle and magical, and magical theory and math and arithmancy and" Raven stopped with a half grin on his face as if a bit embarrassed.

Dumbledore smiled warmly.

"Will you show me?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling. He got up out of his chair and cast his eyes at the bookcases packed tightly into the room.

Raven nodded. He stood up and winced when his leg hit the floor hard.

"Harry, what happened to your leg?" Dumbledore ask.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Raven replied. Dumbledore gave him a piercing look. Raven backed up, tense again.

"Harry, what happened?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"It's just an old injury, sir." Raven elaborated.

"There's a mediwitch at Hogwart. Her name is Madame Pomphrey. She could heal it if you would come to Hogwarts to see her." Dumbledore said and with twinkling eyes once again added "She looked after her dad when he banged himself up playing Quidditch."

"Maybe some other time, sir." Raven replied.

"Any time Harry. Let me know when you want to come. Perhaps I can show you the Hogwarts library." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Did my parents leave a will?" Raven asked suddenly. "You said they wouldn't have wanted me to stay here. I just wondered if they had wanted me to…" Raven trailed off a lump in his throat, and finished to himself "live with the Dursleys?"

"They left a will Harry. They loved you very much and would have wanted you to be safe and happy." Dumbledore eyes were no longer twinkling and showed a hint of self-reproach. But the man said nothing else.

Raven thought he might know why that self-reproach appeared in the man's eyes. He knew Dumbledore had left him there but apparently the man didn't want to admit it.

"Will you let Fawkes in with letters?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, sir." Raven answered, sparing a short glare for the bird that brought the unannounced guest.

"I'll see what I can do about your guardianship problem but someone is going to have to be named responsible for you." Dumbledore said.

Raven's eyes widened. He couldn't let himself come under the control of someone again.

"I'll try to leave you as much independence as I can but I'll need your help. Ok, Harry?" Dumbledore asked seriously.

Raven nodded distractedly.

"Alright, I'll send something with Fawkes soon." Dumbledore said gently. "Come on Fawkes, enough of your schemes." The phoenix let out a trill and flew to Dumbledore's arm.

"And you can take us to the Ministry since you abducted me from my office." He told the bird in a half-scolding tone.

Man and bird disappeared in a flash of flames.

"What is Master going to do?" Jasper asked. The little elf had diligently watched the conversation from the entry to the kitchen.

"I don't know Jasper. But I think we'll gather up the most important stuff and take it to the manor. I don't know when he'll be back but I'm sure he will be." Raven said looking worriedly at the door. "Or some else will be." He muttered.

* * *

Dumbledore and Fawkes reappeared in the Ministry atrium. It was the middle of the afternoon and the fireplaces were empty and quiet. No one would take note of his coming today. Albus headed towards the security desk and smiled as he recognized a particular voice from that direction.

The now-retired auror, and his friend, Alastor Moody was lecturing the security guard on duty, Eric, on the importance of adherence to stick security measures. He distinctly heard the words constant vigilance being loudly brandied about.

"Hello Alastor. What brings you to the Ministry today?" Albus asked approaching the security desk. Eric looked utterly relieved to have someone distracting Mad-Eye Moody.

"Ah, Minister's been wanting to talk to anyone who might know where you've got the Potter boy stashed away at. He's been calling in people left and right. Got the whole team I took down to Surry a few years back in his office right now." Moody said gruffly. "The fool's convinced that you're hiding that boy. Want me to send him on a wild Hippogriff chase? Perhaps Belize? I hear that they got vampire problems right now. Maybe we'll get lucky." Moody offered with a grin that made his scarred face look truly gruesome.

Albus's eyes twinkled merrily. "I thank you for the offer Alastor, but eventually the Minister will have to accept the fact that I am not hiding Harry from him." This was technically correct as Harry was hiding himself even if Albus knew where he was and had provided the child with a significant reason to stay hidden for the time being.

Dumbledore moved past Eric, the security guard, with a nod and smile.

"Go right on ahead, professor. Have a nice day." Eric said waving him on. Albus could hear Alastor behind him going on about polyjuice potions and the imperius curse.

Albus took the lift a few floors down to the Department of Magical Records. The wards were set to recognize certain officials without notifying aurors to accompany the individual. His authority as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot got him through the wards and into the department.

He entered a long room with even longer corridors branching off to the left, right and diagonally. Everything down here was covered in dust. He found what he was looking for three boxes from the end of the 21st corridor on the right hand side.

His plan to obtain protection for Harry as well as a certain level of independence was a farfetched one. It was based entirely on the name Ravenclaw and the ring he thought he recognized on Harry's finger. He wasn't at all certain that the plan would work which was why he hadn't mentioned it to Harry. There were many conditions that would have to be met and the first would hinge on the contents of this box. He still had to decide on someone to take responsibility for the boy but he didn't trust anyone else to do so. The poor child seemed terrified at the idea of a guardian. Albus was now worried about the ramifications of both the Dursley's treatment and the neglect of Harry's last guardian. Perhaps it would be best if he himself took over the boy's protection and care. He would be able to guide Harry in the right direction, gain his trust and work to lessen the effects of his isolation. He would also need to make sure he could keep Harry out of Lucius's hands if this plan did not work.

A little over an hour later, Albus found the first of several documents he would need and left a little more optimistic than when he had come in.

* * *

A/N: Wow... you reviewers are creative. You thought of things that I hadn't. Ok.. guardian news. There is a groundswell of support for McGonagall who I threw in as filler to be honest. But my plot isn't set in stone. I'll probably dig up the Potter will though it may be long in coming... but thanks for the idea.

Naughty Fawkes... I'd gotten a little carry away with the Fawkes bashing (I truly like Fawkes). At one point, before editing I had Harry call him a flaming hijacker (oops!).

I also want to reiterate that Crow's journals are not the cannon books. There is little to no dialogue and just snapshot of some scenes. What Harry knows is exactly what was written before. As far as Sirius is concerned, Harry doesn't know what happened but he is curious. I can guarentee that Harry will misintrepret causality at some point. But future knowledge is not going to be the only thing driving this fic cause frankly I'd get bored.

Oh and if there is a mr. stick up his arse (definately arse by the way) it would have to be Snape. And bottle blond?... That would be Mr. Bottle Blond the III to you.

I wonder what kind Crow-type names would suit Fudge?

Chapter 8: For the Love of History (And I do love history even more than Harry seems to)


	8. For the Love of History

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: Sad to say but none of it is mine.

Chapter 8: For the Love of History

It was several weeks after Dumbledore's visit. Today was now the first of September. Raven had stayed in his apartment the entire time and had taken to wearing the phoenix pendent that Dumbledore had sent. Hogwarts and her Headmaster would be better than some members of the Wizarding world. He was also reluctantly carrying in his pocket the eagle figurine that Crow had left him. He still didn't feel right assuming the name Ravenclaw, let alone going to the ancestral manor of that family.

The phoenix had come once in that time with a letter from Dumbledore and a tin of chocolate biscuits. The letter offered him no new news. Dumbledore just assured him that things were going well on the guardianship problem and urged him to keep safe in the apartment. Raven had eyed the biscuits for a moment before his mistrust surfaced and he asked Jasper to get rid of them.

Sense then, Raven had emptied the apartment of anything he deemed important. The rare potions books that Crow had given him for his ninth birthday, the last letter from Crow, the notes on the wards, the letter about the status of the Ravenclaw vault, and even the cigar box of "junk" followed Crow's journals and Raven's notes to the Ravenclaw manor. The only important item Raven kept around was the photograph of his parents at their graduation. He had sent Ebony with a note to Professor McGonagall thanking her for the picture. She had written back offering condolences on the death of his guardian. Apparently Dumbledore had told her. Raven hadn't written back for over a week after that. Eventually he wrote asking what his parents had been like. She replied with the story of their engagement and never said another word about his guardian.

Raven hadn't been idle during this time though. Despite his knowledge of the future he was more concerned about the present. The Dursleys were no longer an option even if Crow had seen him going back every year. He had only read up to his fourth year anyhow but Voldemort had certainly had followers to summon at the end of that ritual. His paranoia of wizards trying to control him and harm now had faces to attach to the potential acts. He needed some way to retain his control over his life or his knowledge of the future wasn't going to get him anywhere. He had read a little about the man who would be Minister of Magic during his future third and fourth years at Hogwarts and a man that blind and power hungry was dangerous. Merlin only knows who that man would place him with. Probably the highest bidder. If he was going to prevent Voldemort's return and whatever atrocities he hadn't read about yet he needed to stay of the hands of the Ministry.

He knew Dumbledore had some plan to circumvent the Ministry and place him under the guardianship of someone Dumbledore would choose. Raven might not have his notes any longer and never got further than reading Crow's rendition of his fourth year at Hogwarts but Dumbledore never tried to actively hurt or help him in any of the scenes that Crow described. However, this was the only man who knew of the first prophecy. Dumbledore's letter had warned him about people wanting to use his fame for their own ends. What was preventing Dumbledore from doing the same? Raven was beginning to feel like chattel sold at auction to the best manipulator.

He wasn't about to go quietly though. He had spent much of his time trying to find a legal way to become emancipated in either the muggle or the Wizarding world. But Dumbledore was right. He was simply too young. But what was Dumbledore doing that was going around the Minister's desire to place him with a new guardian. Whatever it was had to be some loophole to the age limits and Raven needed to find it and exploit it on his own.

"Master Ravenclaws, sir theres be a bird wanting in." Jasper said, distracting him from a very boring and dry magical law book. Only his need to stay independent and a dictionary on legal terminology could get him to make sense of the pages of the thick tome. Muggle lawyers weren't the only ones to write in what had to be another language.

"Thanks Jasper" He said with a smile. What would he do without that elf?

As expected, it was Fawkes. He hadn't given the bird access to the wards but the bird stopped at the window and waited. He assumed something kept the muggles from noticing him.

"Come in Fawkes" He said as he opened the window. He was still wary of the bird but was curious to see what Dumbledore sent this time. Hopefully not more socks.

He took the letter and a package from Fawkes and the bird flew off to perch on the back of a chair. Raven opened the letter first.

_Dear Harry, _

_I am still making progress on your current situation. To move forward I need some information from you. In particular, I need to know about your last guardian. What was his name? What do you know about his family? Did he leave a will and if so what did he leave to you? _

_I truly am working towards what I think is the best solution for you. I know you want to retain much of your independence and the information about your guardian may help you do so. However, you do need someone who can protect you, offer you some guidance and represent your best interests. _

_Please respond with this information as soon as you can. I've asked Fawkes to wait for your reply. _

_Sincerely, _

_Albus Dumbledore _

The package was simply a history book with a note saying Dumbledore remembered that he liked history and perhaps they could talk about it sometime. It was at least a book Raven did not own. Raven set the book aside and looked up to watch the phoenix preen his feathers on the back of the chair that had become his unofficial perch in the apartment. Fawkes was staying. He needed to reply quickly then but not so quickly that he didn't consider what Dumbledore could want with information about Crow.

Harry began a draft of the letter he would send in reply. To be honest he knew little about Crow's family other than that he didn't have any. Crow had seemingly left him the family vaults, properties and library. He didn't know if a will existed at all but the goblins had to have been working off of something to transfer those vaults. Crow had also left him the ring. Dumbledore had been interested in that ring. To Raven it seemed wholly unremarkable after it had interacted with his magic. A bronze circle with diamonds and blue stones with an eagle engraved on the top. But Crow had mentioned it would grant him protection through the Ravenclaw family. He was confused but obviously Dumbledore was not. Too bad Crow hadn't seen this future as well. He could use a little future knowledge at the moment.

He gave the carefully worded letter to Fawkes hoping he hadn't said too much or too little and the phoenix left the apartment.

His law book lay open on the desk still beside the much used legal dictionary. The new history book looked much more interesting and was less likely to induce a headache. Raven decided to take a break from the law and opened his new book. Perhaps a conversation with Dumbledore about History would allow him some clues. It would almost be preferable to that horrid book. Still, he was relieved that it didn't seem as though Dumbledore would place him back with the Dursleys.

The history book was entitled _The History of Modern Magical Britain. _The book, despite the dull title was interesting as it combined Wizarding and muggle history and showed how they interacted and influenced each other. A truly fascinating study. The author seemed slightly nostalgic and Raven was sure the description of the peaceful interaction of wizards, muggles and magical creatures of the times was a little romanticized but it was golden vision of what could be. 1066 seemed to be a year the author cursed above all as though William could personally be blamed for all of Britain problems since that year. It was the passage about the first planned separation of wizards from muggles that directed Raven's rapt attention away from 'The Crimes of The Conqueror'.

_The beginning of the separation of the Wizarding world from the muggles occurred in 966 (It would be completed in 1692__during a seven week long __summit meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards in which __The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy went into effect). __It was at this time a young__Rowena Ravenclaw saw a vision of the conquest of Britain by French soldiers and the utter destruction of the government that wizards and muggles had used together to keep the peace. _

_She reported that the England would come to be ruled by an absolute power for several hundreds of years and the power of magic would lose its influence in British rule. _

_At that time both muggle and magical members of Britain were ruled by the King and the Witenagemot council. This council was made up of muggle and magical ealdomen. The muggles on this council each ruled a piece of land referred to as a shire. Several powerful magical members also sat on this council. Magical seats were generally hereditary with the exception of squibs__Ravenclaw and several others persuaded the magical members of the current __Witenagemot__ to separate from the muggle leaders. This formed what would become the modern Wizengamot. The hereditary seats on this council were kept within the original hereditary lines of the magical members of the previously ruling Witenagemot. _

_Additional hereditary seats were created exactly one-hundred years later for Ravenclaw and her supporters when Britain was conquered by William of Normandy. The conditions by which these and pervious hereditary seats are inherited can be found in the seat's original letter patent. This outlines the conditions by which a seat or title is inherited. _

_Non hereditary seats have been added to the Wizengamot to fill it to its current number of 88 members and additional non-hereditary seats are added when hereditary titles become extinct. _

_The method of summoning new members with valid claims to a hereditary seat or members elected to a non-hereditary seat is commonly known as a writ of summons. As a side note, muggles borrowed this method, though the wizard who introduced it is unknown. At times, wizards have obtained a muggle writ of summons and gained titles in the muggle world (see The __Baron of Strange). Once a writ of summons is delivered the wizard or witch recites an oath swearing to uphold the laws and honour of the Wizengamot. Once this oath is sworn, the writ of summons will deliver the witch or wizard via portkey to the next Wizengamot session. _

"Perhaps Dumbledore was a little more forthcoming than I imagined even if the answer was hidden in a book. That conversation he suggested could be interesting indeed." Raven said allowed. He returned to his law books and selected a few others that concentrated on inheritance laws and rules governing the members of the Wizengamot. Perhaps this was his loophole in the emancipation law.

* * *

_Headmaster Dumbledore,_

_I appreciate the effort you have put into helping me. However, I know little of the information you asked for. My guardian always asked that I refer to him as Old Crow. I never met Crow's family nor did he speak of them. I have not heard of any will of his though he left me a letter informing me of my inheritance of two vaults and a few properties. I was able to confirm my ownership of the vaults on a visit to __Gringotts_

_I thank you for the book you sent. I am glad to say it was not part of the library here and I look forward to reading it. _

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

The reply wasn't as informative as Albus would have hoped. And he could sense the careful nature of the still-too-formal writing. This more than the lack of information lessened the Headmaster's jolly mood. Harry still didn't seem to trust him. The boy was still locked away in a small apartment without company or guidance. He needed help and Albus resolved to meet with again to do what he could gain enough of the boy's trust to help him.

Albus had spent much of his time before the start of the school year in the dust archives of the Ministry. He was looking for everything he could find on the Ravenclaw lordship and Wizengamot seat. Through careful investigation he had found that the Ravenclaw lordship and Wizengamot seat was last held by a Tiberius Ravenclaw who was listed as deceased. Hopefully Harry would tell him that Tiberius had been his last guardian. Albus wasn't pleased with the neglectful man if that was true but perhaps he could provide some protection for his charge in death.

He had also gone on a search for the Ravenclaw letter of patent. Unfortunately he could not access the letter patent of Ravenclaw that the Ministry held without someone claiming the title to activate it. There would be another copy held by the family but Merlin only knew where it was kept now. Families were famous for hiding their letters of patent and keeping the secret how they gained and maintained their Lordship. It was taboo to ask to see such a thing.

Albus was hoping that the Ravenclaw letter patent would state that the title was to be inherited by heirs of the magic. Albus was concerned that it would have been like many of the now-extinct titles that were inherited by heirs of the magic and body. This would only allow blood relatives to inherit and wouldn't allow for magical adoptions, or claimlings to carry the title.

Unfortunately few families desired their seats to be open for inheritance for nonfamily members. It had been rumored that the Kaskill seat was inherited in such a way in the 1800's and the family had been betrayed and killed by a friend hoping the title and power would pass to him. It had only led to the extinction of the title and the election of a new member of the governing body.

Dumbledore's own seat was an elected one that he was given after his defeat of Grindelwald.

A knock on his door interrupted his mussing.

"Come in" Albus replied. The heads of house always met after the Welcoming Feast for a few minutes as if to insulate themselves before truly accepting the return of their students.

The angry voice of the Head of Slytherin House met his ears.

"Something must be done about those Weasleys. It took a full 40 minutes to undo all of the charms. Imagine the hellions they will become, if allowed to go unchecked." Severus was ranting about the pink hair no doubt. The Welcoming Feast had included a prank which turned select student's (Slytherins) hair pink. Albus had high hopes that the Weasley twins would be as entertaining as the Marauders had been a generation ago. Though they could do with less of the vindictive nature the Marauders had had on occasion.

"There were punished Severus, house points and detention for a week." Minerva replied, always strict and always fair.

"Any other difficulties?" Albus asked. There were always a few first years upset about the house they had been put into. Families, especially the old families, placed so much importance and pressure on children to go into a certain house. There had been students disowned from their families because of their sorting. The pressure eased a little during peaceful times but war was a memory for all the parents of Hogwarts' children.

"No, it seems to be a remarkably quiet year so far." Filius answered for the four heads of house.

The chatter continued as the Professors discussed the new sortings and returning students. They discussed who needed to be watched closely (Fred and George) and who had changed greatly from the previous year. They estimated which prefects would be able to assert the most control to prevent havoc from reigning in their respective houses and the hallways. To Albus it sounded as though they were consulting on players in a war they were fighting to maintain the order of the corridors and classes. Albus thought to end the evening and send the professors back to their quarters or stalking of the corridors.

"Well, once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more." Albus said with a twinkle in his eyes despite the oddly blank looks he received. Apparently they hadn't followed his train of thought. However, Severus, Filius and Pomona filed out of his office.

"Shakespeare, Albus?" Minerva said once the others had left.

"Remind me to introduce you to Mr. Potter." Albus replied with a chuckle remembering the last time someone had identified his muggle quote.

The Head of Gryffindor house shook her head and walked out the office door entirely too accustomed to the Headmaster's eccentricities.

* * *

Raven had spent most of his night reading. Jasper had spent most of the night trying to persuade Raven to sleep. But Raven now knew what rules and laws existed for the inheritance of titles and Wizengamot seats. 

There were few inherited seats left of the original 61 that had constituted the majority of the Wizengamot.

"Jasper, did Crow ever mention claiming the Ravenclaw lordship or attending a session of the Wizengamot." Raven asked. It wasn't something he could imagine Crow doing but perhaps when he had been younger.

"I's just young elfling when Master Crow inherit headship sir. But I's hear Master Crow commenting on the ratio of brain size to success of Wizengamot members so I's think he must have gone to see such a thing." Jasper replied with all seriousness.

"But he claimed the title so it's gone dormant with his death but isn't yet extinct." Raven commented to himself. Without a claim the title would fall dormant and then extinct within 7 years.

He had thought correctly. This was Dumbledore's loophole. Children were afforded only a few more rights than house elves in the Wizarding world and guardians and parents could do as they pleased without interference for the most part, something that frightened him to no end. But Lords had more power and protections even if they were underage.

If he could claim the Ravenclaw lordship all he would need was a regent to act on his behalf. The role of a regent was to represent the Lord until he came of age and teach the Lord about the chamber he would one day enter. The regent was also a protector of the family and advisor but had less power over their charge than a guardian would. A Lord could even overrule their regent's vote in the Wizengamot though this was seldom done and frowned upon.

The problem was that regents generally knew the position of the family in wizard politics. Often the position went to relatives of the young Lord or a family ally. Raven knew of none. He needed someone he trusted and who had knowledge of the workings of the Wizengamot.

First he needed to claim the Ravenclaw Lordship. He wasn't sure he could even claim it since he wasn't a Ravenclaw by blood. He had a feeling though, that this is what Crow had mentioned about the family protecting him when he asked Raven to wear the ring. He couldn't exactly walk into the Ministry and state his claim though.

He needed to be sure or he would be snatched up and given to a guardian that he would have no say in naming. This scenario had given him nightmares every time he had started to slip into sleep during the night. He woke with fresh motivation to pour through his law book.

"Any idea where the Ravenclaw letter patent is, Jasper?" Raven asked with crossed fingers. He had grown up with muggles for several years after all and some superstitions stick.

"Is Master missing mail? Jasper not know about special letter." The little elf replied.

"Did Crow ever go searching for something and leave the manor in last few years?" Raven asked. Crow might have needed to check the letter patent himself to know if Raven could inherit.

"Crow go searching for really old firewhiskey once and for a Patty he complained about being forced to endure hordes of little ankle-bitters to find. Jasper not know who Patty is but Master's ankles seemed fine after finding her." Jasper said, his head bobbing up and down.

Patty? While Raven didn't put it past Crow to be interested in some women by that name at least for a very short time, the description of hordes of ankle-bitters could only be one place: Hogwarts. And Crow, ever the recluse, would never submit himself to being around that many people just for a woman. No Patty was most likely his elusive letter patent. In an ironic fashion it made sense that the Ravenclaw letter patent would be hidden in a public building that Rowena helped found. But he had skimmed through Hogwarts: A History and Hogwarts was huge. He would never find it without knowing where to look.

The vault or the manor could hold some clues but he wasn't ready to give up his apartment nor did he have a magical way to return to it. He would have to go through muggle London or worse yet go through the floo at the Leaky Cauldron to get back to the apartment. Planning wasn't his strong point but something would need to be done. Fear of being outside of the wards that kept him safe from the control of the Ministry and wizards far worse than the Dursleys kept him from rushing out without a plan. But he would need to do something soon even without a foolproof way to return to the apartment.

* * *

A/N: Yes, it had been awhile hasn't it? My muse has kept my attention turned to my other story lately and that one has seen a lot of updates. If you've been waiting on this one you'll be pleased to know that I have the rest of the plot worked out. This story will not be abandoned! In fact, updates should come quite quickly. It took awhile to be satisfied with this chapter and i'm still not there. Perhaps I'll edit some day but for now on with the show. The chappied does showcase my love own love of history quiet well. (And the truly is a Baron of Strange!) 

My thanks to all those who have reviewed. I'll be interested on your opinion of the seemingly political turn of events. I always loved political Harry fics and no there is no Potter Lordship. Potter is a name generally associated with tradesmen not nobles and he will not discover a Gryffindor lordship that he can claim. There could however be a Black Lordship awaiting Sirius who will come up later in this fic.

I did hear the loud and clear lack of support for a Dumbledore guardian. Personally I say poor Dumbles; he's trying so hard to do right by Harry but the kid is paranoid and doesn't trust him. But how about Dumbledore as Regent? And yeah, I kind of mutilated what a regent truly is but if a title goes extinct after 7 years they could have developed them.

Well... questions, comments, ideas or simple motivation to update is always welcome. Please review.


	9. Too Many Socks

Raven Chronicles: Lost and Found

Disclaimer: Even after all this time it still isn't mine

Chapter 9: Too Many Socks

Raven paced his apartment. It was thirty paces from the window to far book shelf, and twenty from the door to the kitchen. Jasper had long sense retreated to the manor for a less anxious environment. Never had this apartment felt so small. He was beginning to understand how he could have acted so rashly in the future that Crow saw. But still if he went looking for clues now would it truly be rash. He had a portkey to the manor and another to Hogwarts.

The best bet seemed to be the Ravenclaw family vault. If they were going to protect clues for the location of the letter, that would be the safest place for them. Gringotts had never been successfully broken into after all.

Raven made his decision and grabbed the cloak he had purchased not long ago in Madame Malkins. He had the phoenix pendant around his neck and the eagle figurine in a pocket.

"So much has happened since then. It seems like it was years ago." Raven said aloud.

He slipped the cloak into a backpack and left the apartment for Muggle London.

A short subway ride got him to Charring Cross road and he slipped behind the Leaky Cauldron with his cloak hood pulled over his head and his fringe flattened over his well-known scar.

The denizens of the pub were discussing the Montrose Magpies or some such thing.

"Nah, its Johnson. Gotta be the best chaser in the league." A man whispered very loudly to his neighbor

"What do you know? Johnson couldn't throw a quaffle through a hoop if he was hovering two feet in front of it and the keeper was blind." Another man two tables over replied with force.

Ah, quidditch. A tall blonde man and his daughter walked into the pub, heading quickly towards the alleyway behind it.

"Come along we need to get to the Alley and back home before noon." The man said to his daughter.

Raven decided to follow. The man tapped the bricks and Raven slid into the Alley behind them.

Diagon Alley was much the same as the last time Raven had visited but without the copious amount of school-aged children and racks of Hogwarts supplies on display.

The atmosphere of hooting owls, potions ingredients, robes for sale and the milling wizards was less enchanting than his previous visit. Some of those wizards were targeting him directly. It wasn't just a vague threat of returning to the Dursleys any longer.

His roving eyes picked up a few wizards in blue that seemed to be scanning the crowded Alley. They weren't traveling together but seemed aware of each other as each was watching a different section of the street and no two blue-clad wizard's areas overlapped.

Raven quickly ducked his head and proceeded on to Gringotts as fast as he could travel without raising suspicion.

He did not read the inscription on the door as he past into the white building and set his eyes on an open teller.

A hand grabbed his arm and he could feel the head of a cane hook onto his opposite shoulder.

"Well, just who the aurors were searching for. I believe you'll be coming with me. Your business with the goblins will wait." A silky voice drawled behind.

Raven looked up behind into a pale face framed with platinum blonde hair. It could only be Mr. Blonde Snot Sr. as Crow had called him. Raven mind raced. This was someone he had to stay away from. But what could he do?

His hand came up to clutch the pendant he was wearing and his other hand found the figurine in his pocket. He only needed to get clear of the man to use them. In the mean time being polite and clueless might convince the man that he wouldn't fight him and would give him the opportunity he needed.

"Pardon sir? Who are you?" He asked feigning confusion.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy, Mr. Potter." The blonde told him and began to drag him out of Gringotts. "The Minister has been quite anxious to locate you and place with a more reasonable guardian than those muggles." A sneer was evident in his tone of voice over the word muggle though the expression on his face never changed from bored aristocrat.

Raven hesitated, Gringotts was goblin territory and even this man would think twice before casting a spell in here. But the pressure on his shoulder increased until it became painful and Raven had no choice but to move toward the exit.

The doors of Gringotts closed behind them and two blue-clad aurors approached.

"Ah, Dwalish. I'll be taking Mr. Potter with me. Tell Minister Fudge he had been found and is in good hands." Malfoy instructed the auror.

Raven didn't trust the ministry personnel either. It was the Minister who had given over to Malfoy. Malfoy's hand tightened further, his fingers digging into Raven's shoulder.

"This way Mr. Potter. You've had your freedom long enough. Time to be back in the care of an adult who knows what is best for you." The blonde drawled out and Malfoy's hand tightened again moving Raven towards the apparition point in Diagon Alley. Dawlish was following them now. The auror put a hand out in front of him to push Raven along and Raven jumped to the side not expecting to be touched. It was simply more hands coming at him than he could deal with.

He fell overbalanced. The eagle figurine tumbled out of his pocket and he scrambled to catch it for a moment but could only watch as it rolled toward Lucius's feet. Lucius bent down to pocket the figuring and moved toward him again a sharp reprimanding look on his face. With the option of the manor gone he grabbed the pendant and quietly whispered "too many socks."

The sensation was unfamiliar and for a moment he was disoriented in the flash of colors and noise. He landed hard in a circular office decorated with red carpeting, a massive desk and tables covered with small whirling objects. One stationary object on a table caught his attention. It was a small toy soldier that looked oddly familiar. It had a broken arm and its paint was noticeably worn.

Raven reached out entranced by the object. It was his old toy from Privet Drive. Dudley had thrown two of them down the stairs declaring that he needed the room for his new computer games. One had broken both of the legs off in the throw but the other had survived with only part of the arm missing. Harry had thrown out the first and kept the second. He had named it James because he couldn't think of a better name. It was the only toy he could remember having. He'd missed that toy soldier when he moved into the apartment.

Dumbledore had known someone had accessed his office with a portkey. The only portkeys capable of doing so were ones he had made and he set off to his office.

He gave the gargoyle the password (tootsie roll) and opened the door to his office. Harry was standing next to his desk. The boy's small finger was tracing along the toy soldier he had taken out of the Muggle house he had left him to suffer in. He was truly sorry for what the boy had suffered. He knew Harry was frightened and wanted to stay safe through his independence and Albus was willing to offer him that. He would help the boy try to claim the Ravenclaw lordship and seat. The position of regent would be up to Harry but he was hopeful that Harry would allow him that so he could at least help him learn about the Wizarding world and keep the boy safe.

"Hello Harry" He said from the doorway hoping not to startle the boy. "I imagine you recognize that toy. I found it at your realities' home."

"I'm glad to see you here but what caused you to make use of the portkey?"

Raven was unsure what to answer. He had no way of getting back to his apartment from here. Even Dumbledore's bird was missing.

"I tried to go to Gringotts but a man grabbed me." Raven said backing away from Dumbledore's desk and rubbing his shoulder. There was no use in telling the man that he would have preferred Ravenclaw manor to Hogwarts.

"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Raven said and consciously stopped rubbing the shoulder that the man had grabbed.

Dumbledore moved to sit as his desk.

"Have a seat Harry. I had wanted to talk to you soon anyway. We might as well do so now."

"I read the book you sent. That was why you asked about my inheritance from Crow wasn't it? You want to claim his Wizengamot seat and name a regent."

"Yes, Harry. I do." Albus admitted. Harry was exceedingly clever to pick that out of an entire book on Wizarding History. "Claiming the Ravenclaw seat if you are able to and naming a regent will allow you to keep as much independence as you legally can." Harry didn't react much. Apparently he had figured out this much. "I would like to help you claim that seat. Going to the ministry and filing a claim will determine whether you are eligible to do so."

"But if I'm not the Ministry will never let me leave on my own again." His one interaction with ministry workers had been more than enough to leave him paranoid.

"You will have to choose a guardian before you go if you are not able to claim that seat." Dumbledore said wondering if he could get the child to choose himself.

"No. I do not want another guardian, sir." Raven said quickly. He wasn't going to be placed in anyone else's control.

"I know Harry, but if you can't claim that seat you will have to accept a guardian or the Ministry will assign you one." Atleast Dumbledore wasn't going to try to persuade him that this wasn't possible. His respect for the man rose a notch even as his fear for being forced under the control of an adult rose as well.

"No, I don't want another guardian." He said, his voice rising in pitch with his fear.

Dumbledore relented for the moment. The boy had a tremendous fear of being placed with a new guardian and he was beginning to realize that Harry wasn't going to compromise.

"Alright Harry, we won't go to the ministry just yet. There is another way to tell if you'll be able to claim that seat." Now Harry's attention was focused back on the conversation and his fear seemed to have quelled for the moment.

"I was trying to find the letter patent for it. I wanted to check the vault to see if it was there." Raven said following Dumbledore's thought perhaps the man would let him keep searching. Dumbledore had been very understanding. He hadn't forced him to go to the ministry or to give up him apartment. Maybe Dumbledore wouldn't be so bad if he for a regent. He didn't know anyone else after all.

The boy was clever, unusually so, Dumbledore thought to himself.

"Please, let me keep looking sir. Please if I can't find it then… then maybe the ministry…" Raven's voiced trailed off as visions of being forced to go with Mr. Malfoy and the things the man would demand or do to him swam through him mind. There were spells and potions that could make him do all sorts of things and spells and potions that could hurt him and no one would know and no one would be able to help him.

"Alright Harry. You look for the letter patent and if by Halloween you haven't found it then we will go to the ministry." Dumbledore conceded. He wanted to gain Harry's trust and judging by the relief and the smile on the boy's face now he had made a good start.

Raven was indeed relieved. Dumbledore would let him look. Maybe the professor would even make a portkey for his apartment.

"You might want to think about who you name as regent." Dumbledore added, he was still hopeful the boy would accept on his own and allow him to help.

"I will, sir." Though he was considering Dumbledore, he didn't want to commit just yet.

"Well, with that taken care of, what did you think of the rest of the book, Harry? I personally enjoyed the speculation of what modern Brittan would be if we hadn't lost to the French all those years back. Of course that would have made Ravenclaw's prediction incorrect" Dumbledore began, wondering just how far he could push Harry's intellect.

An hour later Dumbledore was impressed. Harry understood the material and could be easily guided to see the implications and bias of the author's assertions. "Truly remarkable" he commented to himself. Someone had taught him to question what he read and apply to the world as he understood it.

"Sorry, sir?" Raven asked. He had relaxed as their talk continued and was sprawled in the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk. A small sandwich dangled in his fingers from the tea the Professors had asked an elf to bring. He had immensely enjoyed their talk. It reminded him of talks with Crow but without other wizards' often harsh comments and opinions about the 'sorry state of the world' as he put it. But now he was beginning to get anxious to be going. One could only sit still for so long at the age of 10 and his scare with Malfoy had long worn off. He wanted to be searching for that letter patent.

"Oh, nothing Harry. Just the mutterings of an old man." The headmaster eyes twinkled at the boy. "You should probably be leaving Harry. I enjoyed our chat. And don't hesitate to use that portkey if you get into trouble again or if you just want to talk."

That reminded Raven "Sir, is it possible for you to make me a portkey to my apartment? I'd like to be able to get back there without going through the Leaky Cauldron if something happens."

"Yes, Harry. I can make you a portkey but I'm afraid you'll need to give me access to the wards so my magic can pull you through them." It would a good measure of the amount of trust Harry was placing in him if the boy allowed this.

Did he want to give Dumbledore access to the wards? Did he trust him that much. The old wizard hadn't asked anything of Raven and was willing to do what he asked. He hadn't forced him to go to the ministry or to name a guardian and truly seemed to want to protect him. Yes, he trusted Dumbledore enough for this. Maybe he would name him regent too.

"Ok" Raven finally replied.

* * *

A/N: Well.. its been even longer this time. Did you remember anything about the story? Did you give up on my ever updating? I am sorry for the slow updates. I could give a string of excuses but really i've just not been motivated to work on this lately. My other fic has recieved a bit more attention but even it has been hanging without an update for awhile. I will not abondon this stories though. They will be finished even if it takes awhile. I don't know about you but I really hate abondoned fics they always leave me wondering what happened next and wanting to read more even though i'll never be able to.

I hope you have enjoyed this fic so far and continue to have patience.

Well... questions, comments, ideas or simple motivation to update is always welcome. Please review.


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